The effects of exposure to ozone (O3) on concentrations of serum lipids and lipoproteins were investigated. Male and female guinea pigs were exposed to O3 at 1 ppm for two weeks. Serum concentrations of cholesterol, triglycerides, low density (LDL) and very low density (VLDL) lipoproteins were elevated after O3 exposure, particularly in males. During O3 exposure the food intake per day decreased (for a constant body weight), suggesting that metabolic rate and possibly basal metabolic rate was lower. Lung wet weights increased during O3 exposure by 87% for males and 45% for females. When individual lung weight/body weight ratios were correlated with cholesterol and LDL values from the same animal, a high correlation is found for males (r = 0.81, P less than 0.05), suggesting that there may be a relationship between lipoprotein elevations and lung damage for males. Because elevated concentrations of lipids and lipoproteins in humans increase the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD), the lipoprotein results suggest that an epidemiological study of the incidence of CHD with metropolitan O3 levels may be warranted.