The toxicity of particles from combustion processes

Conference · Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1991

OSTI ID:5892277

Henderson, R F; Mauderly, J L

The pulmonary toxicity of inhaled particles will depend on their size, solubility and inherent toxicity. Many combustion-derived particles, such as soot and fly ash, are of a respirable size and, being poorly soluble, are retained for prolonged periods in the lung. The acute toxicity of fly ash from coal combustion was compared to that of a known toxic particle, alpha-quartz, by exposures of rats to 35 mg/m{sup 3} of each type of particle for 7 hr/day, 5 days/wk for 4 wk. The acute pulmonary toxicity was measured by analysis of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. One year after the exposures, fibrosis with granulomas was observed in the quartz-exposed rats, while little or no fibrosis developed in the fly-ash-exposed rats. The toxicity of soot from diesel exhaust was determined by chronic (30 mo) exposures of rats, 7 hr/day, 5 days/wk to exhaust containing 0.35, 3.5 or 7.0 mg/m{sup 3} soot. The two higher exposures caused persistent pulmonary inflammation, fibrosis and neoplasmas. Rats exposed to the lowest concentration demonstrated no toxic responses and there was no life shortening caused by any exposure. Ongoing comparative studies indicate that pure carbon black particles cause responses similar to those caused by diesel exhaust, indicating that much of the toxicity induced by the diesel soot results from the presence of the large lung burdens of carbonaceous particles.

• Research Organization: Lovelace Biomedical and Environmental Research Inst., Albuquerque, NM (United States). Inhalation Toxicology Research Inst.
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-76EV01013
• OSTI ID: 5892277
• Report Number(s): CONF-9110308-1; ON: DE92004255
• Resource Relation: Conference: International conference on toxicology of combustion processes, Pavia (Italy), 28-30 Oct 1991
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
CARBON BLACK
COMBUSTION PRODUCTS
COAL
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
DIESEL FUELS
FLY ASH
LUNGS
FIBROSIS
NEOPLASMS
SOOT
INHALATION
PARTICLE SIZE
PARTICLES
RATS
TOXICITY
AEROSOL WASTES
ANIMALS
ASHES
BODY
CARBON
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
DISEASES
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GAS OILS
INTAKE
LIQUID FUELS
MAMMALS
MATERIALS
NONMETALS
ORGANS
PATHOLOGICAL CHANGES
PETROLEUM
PETROLEUM FRACTIONS
PETROLEUM PRODUCTS
RESIDUES
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
RODENTS
SIZE
VERTEBRATES
WASTES
560300* - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology