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SECURITY ISSUES IN SCIENTIFIC

DIVING

ALEN SOLDO
Centre for Marine Studies, University of Split, Croatia
Head of Diving Activities, Instructor of Scientific Diving, PSS & CMAS Diving Instructor

IPSIT 2011 – WORKSHOP INTELLIGENT UNDERWATER SYSTEM AND TECHNOLOGIES, 1. 4. 2011., SPLIT - CROATIA
SCIENTIFIC DIVING:
- diving performed solely as a necessary part of a
scientific, research, or educational activity.
DIVING IN BIOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY:

1.BIOLOGY & ECOLOGY MARINE SPECIES


- Fish behaviour
- Visual census
- Marine mapping/charting

2. FISHING GEAR
- Impact of fishing gear
• Marine habitat
• Marine species
- Fishing gear characteristics
Fish behaviour
Visual census:

- species richness
- species abundance
- species biomass

10 m
Marine mapping / charting
Impact of fishing gear:
- marine habitat
Impact of fishing gear:
- marine species
Underwater research of fishing gear characteristics:

- Stationary fishing gear


- Movable fishing gear
Security issues based on:

“SAFETY FIRST PRINCIPLE”

 Criteria for scientific diver certification.


 Safety procedures for the diving operation.
 Responsibilities of the dive team members.
 Emergency procedures.
 Equipment use and maintenance procedures.

Each dive unique.


EXAMPLE 1: UNDERWATER RECORDING OF TRAWL CHARACTERISTICS

1. TRAWLER
2. ASSISTANT BOAT
3. SAFETY DIVER
4. CAMERA OPERATOR

KNOWLEDGE OF TRAWL PERFORMANCE IS OBLIGATORY!


EXAMPLE 2: TUNA CAGE MONITORING
DIVING PLAN

DIVING AT LOCATIONS:
1.Under and in vicinity of cage (depth 60-65 m)
2.Reference point (depth 60-70 m): no cage influence
3.Coastal transect in cage vicinity (40-45 m)

EQUIPMENT BASED ON DIVING TARGET / ACTIVITY:


- HD Video camera + underwater case + HID artificial lights
- Marine sediment sampling corer

GAS MIXTURE ??:


-Air
-Nitrox
-Trimix (Oxygen + Nitrogen + Helium)
SEDIMENT SAMPLING

UNDERWATER
VIDEO
RECORDING
AND
MONITORING
PROBLEMS:

NITROGEN – HIGH PARTIAL PRESSURE CAUSING NITROGEN NARCOSIS


OXYGEN – HIGH PARTIAL PRESSURE >1,4 BAR; >1,6 BAR = OXYGEN TOXICITY

GAS ADVANTAGE DISADVANTAGE


Air Simplest, most available, High ppN2 + ppO2
cheapest
Nitrox Lower ppN2 Higher ppO2 = not for deep
dives, lower availability,
expensive, technically
demanding
Trimix Reduced proportions of Most expensive, low availability,
nitrogen and oxygen, low most complicated dives,
narcotic effect of helium, technically most demanding,
helium leaves tissue more helium dissolves into tissues
rapidly than nitrogen more rapidly
High incidence of venous and arterial gas emboli
after diving without protocol violations
RESEARCH CONDUCTED BY DEPARTMENT OF INTEGRATIVE
PHYSIOLOGY, FACULTY OF MEDICINE, SPLIT
Diving and cardiac function
Multiday trimix diving

Cardiovascular
parameters here

Pro-BNP hormone: released after damaging

HEART FUNCTION DECREASED!


Diving and endothelial function
After trimix dives
After air dive

Antioxidants administration

ENDOTEL FUNCTION DECREASED


48 HOURS AFTER DIVE!
FMD:Flow mediated dilation
Lung water accumulation
 Assessed as ECHO lung comets
 Water in lung insterstituim
 Normally low number in healthy
individuals
 Assessed after multiday trimix dives

 Acutely increased number of LC after


each dive
 Paralleled with increased pulmonary
artery pressure
 Remain elevated >24h after multiday
consecutive diving
Venous gas bubbles (emboli)
 Regularly produced in venous circulation during ascent
 Hypothesized to cause DCS
 However, high VGE has a weak positive predictive power
(Sawatzky KD, 1991)
 Alternative theory: endothelial damage at bottom as primary
event, bubbles exacerbate condition (collateral finding)
(Madden & Laden 2009)
Grading of vascular gas bubbles
 Doppler ultrasound (Spencer and Johanson scale, Kisman-Masurel
scale)
 Two-dimensional echocardiography (Eftedal & Brubakk 1997)
Echocardiographic imaging
 Application of new techniques in
assessment of VGE dynamics and
distribution

Ultrasound Doppler

Logicbook

GE Vivid 3 GE Vivid q (latest technology)


Gas bubbles arterializations
 Crossover of VGE to systemic circulation
 Usually linked to patent foramen ovale (PFO)
 Rarely observed and speculated to increase the risk of
decompression injury
 Long term effects unknown
 Cerebral embolization, fatigue after dive?
TEE excluded PFO
Rogoznica study (2009)
 Seven experienced male divers
 Three dives in consecutive days
 Depth: 65-70 msw, trimix and
nitrox 50
 Protocols constructed with V-
planner (Varying Permeability 1
Model VPM-B)
 Gas bubbles monitored
echocardiographically for 90 min
postdive
 PAP assessed as AccT/RVET ratio
Rogoznica study (trimix)
 High incidence of high-grade VGE detected
 Frequent VGE crossover to systemic circulation (9 of 21 dives, in 5 out
of 7 divers)
 All cases of arterialization paralleled with VGE grade 4 in right heart
 No adverse clinical outcomes observed/reported
 Increased PAP
Dive 1 Dive 2 Dive 3
Subject No
45’ 60’ 90’ 45’ 60’ 90’ 45’ 60’ 90’

Bubble Grade Subject 1


Dive
Subject 2 A A A A
No 45’ 60’ 90’
Subject 3

Dive 1 4 (3 – 4) 3 (3 – 4) 3 (3 – 4) Subject 4 A A A A

Dive 2 3 (1 – 4) 3 (1 – 4) 3 (0 – 4) Subject 5 A A A

Subject 6 A
Dive 3 3 (0 – 4) 3 (0 – 4) 2 (0 – 3)
Subject 7 A
Marjan study (2009)
 Collaboration with Dr. Brubakk and Norwegian Labor Directorate
 Twelve Croatian military divers performing six separate no-decompression
air dives
 Profiles derived from Norwegian and US Navy tables
 VGE monitored for 2 h postdive (every 20 min)
 PFO tested with contrast ECHO
3 days rest-period between dives
Bottom
Dive No. Depth Stop p√t
time
1 60 min - 21.7
18 msw 5 min at 3
2 70 min 23.4
msw
3 30 min - 18.6
24 msw 5 min at 3
4 40 min 21.5
msw
5 15 min - 16.7
33 msw 5 min at 3
6 20 min 19.2
msw
Marjan study
 High bubble amounts detected, grade 4 in 56 out of 69
dives.
 Crossover of VGE observed after 11 dives (in 5/12 divers)
 Occasionally observed during entire monitoring period (120
min)
 No acute adverse effects reported
 PFO detected in one diver No. of divers
No. of divers No. of divers
Dive with Grade 4
performing exhibiting
No. at any
the dive arterialization
timepoint
1 12 8 0
2 12 10 3
3 11 8 4
4 11 9 (+1 G5) 2
5 11 10 1
6 12 10 1
Conclusions

 Existing of high VGE production and their frequent


arterialization after dives based on commonly used
models and dive tables
 High VGE production during air, nitrox and trimix
dives
 No acute decompression-related pathology observed
 Long term adverse effects of recurrent microemboli in
systemic circulation cannot be excluded (vital organs)
 Individual susceptibility to VGE production and
arterialization
DEEP DECO STOPS (air)
DEPTH
LATEST DIVING ACCIDENTS IN THE
ADRIATIC
REBREATHER INCIDENT 24 July 2010 - Trieste

As the diver exhales


into the rebreather,
the counterlung(s)
expand. As the diver
inhales from the
rebreather, the
counterlung(s) collapse.
The exhaled gas is
supposed to pass
through a carbon
dioxide absorbent, and
fresh gas containing
oxygen is supposed to
be added.
 Course reserved for experienced divers
 Two slovenian scientist died: - one found dead,

- second 40 min cardiac arrest (brain anoxia)


 Shallow water 4 m depth
Probable cause:
Rebreather malfunction = HYPOXIA
THANKS FOR
ATTENTION!

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