Why is oxygen more toxic underwater than in a hyperbaric chamber?

Question

When diving underwater, oxygen is typically considered toxic at a partial pressure of 1.4. However, hyperbaric chamber treatment tables regularly require taking patients up to 60fsw on 100% O2, which translates to a partial pressure of 2.81. Why is the same amount of oxygen more toxic underwater than in the chamber, if the pressure exerted on both the body and the gas are the same in both scenarios? What variable when we’re “dry” allows us to tolerate more than double the amount of oxygen than when we’re “wet”?

In: Biology

Answer 1

I am not an expert and don’t have an answer, but would like to propose that this is not a result of the oxygen, but of the Co2 we produce. That likely determines how effective we are at processing it.