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Title: In vivo deposition of ultrafine aerosols in human nasal and oral airways

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/381357· OSTI ID:381357
;  [1];  [2]
  1. John Hopkins Univ., Baltimore, MD (United States)
  2. Univ. of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM (United States); and others

The extrathoracic airways, including the nasal passage, oral passage, pharynx, and larynx, are the first targets for inhaled particles and provide an important defense for the lung. Understanding the deposition efficiency of the nasal and oral passages is therefore crucial for assessing doses of inhaled particles to the extrathoracic airways and the lung. Significant inter-subject variability in nasal deposition has been shown in recent studies by Rasmussen, T.R. et al, using 2.6 {mu}m particles in 10 human subjects and in our preliminary studies using 0.004-0.15 {mu}m particles in four adult volunteers. No oral deposition was reported in either of these studies. Reasons for the intersubject variations have been frequently attributed to the geometry of the nasal passages. The aims of the present study were to measure in vivo the nasal airway dimensions and the deposition of ultrafine aerosols in both the nasal and oral passages, and to determine the relationship between nasal airway dimensions and aerosol deposition. A statistical procedure incorporated with the diffusion theory was used to model the dimensional features of the nasal airways which may be responsible for the biological variability in particle deposition. In summary, we have correlated deposition of particles in the size range of 0.004 to 0.15 {mu}m with the nasal dimensions of each subject.

Research Organization:
Lovelace Biomedical and Environmental Research Inst., Albuquerque, NM (United States). Inhalation Toxicology Research Inst.
DOE Contract Number:
FG02-88ER60655; AC04-76EV01013
OSTI ID:
381357
Report Number(s):
ITRI-146; ON: DE96008986; TRN: 96:002767-0010
Resource Relation:
Other Information: PBD: Dec 1995; Related Information: Is Part Of Inhalation Toxicology Research Institute. Annual report, October 1, 1994--September 30, 1995; Bice, D.E.; Hahn, F.F.; Hoover, M.D.; Neft, R.E.; Thornton-Manning, J.R.; Bradley, P.L. [eds.]; PB: 214 p.
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English