I noticed my lungs were burning for breath like a crackhead for dope after a brisk yet routine walk today. It has been raining for the past days in my area and wondered if there is any correlation between moisture and the mix the air consists of. Also what effect will this have in performance and heath?
In: Chemistry
What was the air temperature during your walk?
More H2O less O2. Could also be that the air is colder than normal. Maybe the cold causes the blood vessles around the lungs to constrict, limiting the respiration.
100% humidity at room temperature means the air is 3% water vapor. For dewpoints of around 30C (86F) — which is the muggiest I can imagine — then the air is around 4% water vapor.
See the ‘atm’ column at the [vapor pressure of water](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vapour_pressure_of_water) article at wikipedia.
I believe that only means 4% less oxygen in your lungs but I don’t know how the presence of water vapor affects absorption of oxygen into your bloodstream by your lungs.
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