Analysis of Two-Phase Flow Dynamics in Arteries: Influence of Sodium Chloride on Oxygen and Blood Transport

Abstract

Blood circulation is a multiphase phenomenon involving plasma, red blood cells (RBCs), and dissolved gases such as oxygen and carbon dioxide. In a healthy individual, the oxygen saturation in the blood flowing through the arteries is typically between 95% and 100%. This is measured as a percentage of hemoglobin that is saturated with oxygen and indicates that the body is receiving sufficient oxygenated blood [1]. While the pulmonary artery carries oxygen-poor blood from the heart to the lungs, where gas exchange occurs and the blood picks up oxygen. In a healthy individual, the oxygen saturation in the pulmonary artery is around 76%, and this value increases to nearly 100% in the pulmonary veins after the blood has been oxygenated in the lungs [2]. The transport of oxygen from arteries to tissues depends on hemodynamic parameters and electrolyte concentration, particularly sodium chloride (NaCl). NaCl plays a crucial role in regulating osmotic pressure, plasma viscosity, and gas diffusion, thereby modifying two-phase flow dynamics. This study develops a two-phase flow framework in which blood is treated as the continuous phase and oxygen as the dispersed phase, incorporating NaCl effects into viscosity and diffusion coefficients. Clinical evidence from recent studies, including the DECIDE-Salt trial, highlights the systemic impact of sodium intake on hypertension and cardiovascular health [3].The combined physiological and mathematical approach presented here provides insights into the dual role of NaCl in micro-scale oxygen transport and macro-scale cardiovascular risk.