How high air pressures can a human survive?

[Lojzek]

Does anyone know what is the maximum pressure in which a human body
can function? And how does air pressure affect the minimum breathing frequency?
I suppose increased pressure would allow a person to hold breath longer. For example:
a scuba diver or a person in a diving bell 50m bellow water surface would breathe air that
is about 6 times denser than above surface. If that air had normal oxygen share would it
allow the person to hold breat 6 times as long as above the surface?

 

[mgb_phys]

The deepest commercial diving is about 700m
I think somebody did an experimental dry chamber dive of 3500ft but I can't find the details

The difficulty is that oxygen becomes toxic at high pressures - so as you go deeper you need to lower the percentage of Oxygen.
At 700m you have < %1 O2, since you can't breath this at sea level you have to continually adjust the gas mix as you go deeper.

 

[quicknote]

I can offer some insight into this topic. The maximum air pressure that a human can survive is known as the "crush depth," which is the depth at which the pressure of the water is too great for the body to withstand. This varies from person to person, but on average, a human can survive at a depth of around 500 meters (1640 feet) before the pressure becomes too much for the body to handle. However, this is only if the person is in a pressurized environment, such as a diving bell or a submarine.

In terms of how air pressure affects breathing frequency, it is important to note that humans are adapted to function at a certain range of air pressures. The atmospheric pressure at sea level is around 101 kPa (kilopascals), and this is what our bodies are used to. As the pressure increases, our bodies must work harder to take in the same amount of oxygen. This can lead to an increase in breathing frequency in order to compensate for the higher pressure and maintain proper oxygen levels in the body.

In the example of a scuba diver or a person in a diving bell, the increased pressure does not necessarily allow them to hold their breath longer. While the denser air may make it feel like they can hold their breath longer, the increased pressure actually makes it harder for the body to extract oxygen from the air. This is why divers must carefully monitor their oxygen levels and make sure to breathe regularly while underwater.

In summary, the maximum pressure that a human can survive depends on factors such as individual physiology and the presence of a pressurized environment. As air pressure increases, our bodies must work harder to maintain proper oxygen levels, which can lead to an increase in breathing frequency. However, this does not necessarily mean that a person can hold their breath for longer periods of time at higher pressures.