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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Inhalation exposure system for toxicological studies of diesel oil aerosols

Conference ·
OSTI ID:5768852

This report summarizes the physical and chemical investigations carried out during the past year as part of a study of the inhalation toxicology of diesel fuel aerosols. Diesel fuel is pumped on to the hot manifold of a diesel powered tank where it flash evaporates, and is carried through the exhaust system, then finally expelled into the cooler air where it condenses to form a dense aerosol. This aerosol consists primarily of micron sized droplets of diesel oil; the black sooty particles of normal diesel exhausts are only a very minor fraction of it. The first part of this presentation details the development of a generator which adequately simulates this generation process in a laboratory environment; its implementation onto existing Rochester-type exposure chambers including modifications of these chambers to reliably handle such a dense aerosol; a monitoring system to document exposures; and the physical characterization of the aerosol produced. The second half of the presentation discusses the chemical characterization of the aerosol with particular regard to comparing the laboratory-simulated aerosol with an actual one.

Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-26
OSTI ID:
5768852
Report Number(s):
CONF-801156-2; ON: DE82004079
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English