Deposition of Ultrafine Aerosols in a Human Oral Cast

This paper reports experimental measurements of the total deposition of ultrafine aerosols in a human oral airway cast. A clear polyester resin cast of the upper airways of a normal human adult, including the nasal airways, oral cavity, tongue, nasopharynx, and larynx, was made from a postmortem solid cast. Measured pressure drop in the oral airway was slightly lower than in the nasal airway. The measured oral flow resistance was similar to the values reported for human volunteers breathing through the mouth at rest and for spontaneously opening of the mouth. Aerosol deposition data in the cast for monodisperse NaCl aerosols between 0.2 and 0.005 μm in diameter deposited in the cast were obtained for inspiratory and expiratory flow rates of 4, 20, and 40 L/min. Deposition efficiency increased with decreasing particle size and flow rate indicating that turbulent diffusion was the dominant mechanism for deposition. Higher deposition efficiency was observed for inspiratory flow in the oral airway than for expiratory flow. Oral deposition and nasal deposition for inspiratory flow were similar, but oral deposition was lower for expiratory flow. Deposition efficiency can be expressed as a function of the flow rate and diffusion coefficient of the particle.     

Deposition of Ultrafine Particles in Human Tracheobronchial Airways of Adults and Children

Inhalation exposure to ultrafine particles, including radon progeny and other combustion aerosols, has been implicated in potential health risks of ambient and indoor environments. These particles deposit in the respiratory tract mainly by diffusion. The purpose of this study was to determine the deposition pattern of nanometer-sized particles in the human tracheobronchial (TB) airways of children and young adults. The deposition was determined for 1.75, 10, and 40 nm ²¹²Pb particles at flow rates corresponding to respiratory minute volumes at rest and during moderate exercise. The 1.75 nm particles were unattached clusters, whereas the 10 and 40 nm particles were silver particles with attached ²¹²Pb clusters. Replicate casts of the upper TB airways of 3, 16, and 23 year old humans were used, including the larynx, trachea, and bronchial airways down to generations 5-8. Deposition in each generation and total deposition were measured by counting the ²¹²Pb gamma photopeak in a NaI (Tl) detector. The effects of airway geometry, particle size, and flow rate on deposition efficiency were studied. The deposition of the 1.75 nm particle, corresponding to unattached indoor radon progeny, was substantially higher than that of the 10 and 40 nm particles. The dependence of particle deposition on the flow rate was relatively weak, and deposition efficiencies were only slightly higher at the lower flow rates. The deposition models for diffusion from parabolic flow underestimated aerosol deposition, whereas the diffusion deposition predicted for plug flow overestimated the TB deposition. The deposition models resulting from this study can be used for developing lung deposition models and in the risk assessment of radon progeny and ultrafine ambient particles.     

Aerosol Deposition in the Extrathoracic Region

The extrathoracic region, including the nasal and oral passages, pharynx, and larynx, is the entrance to the human respiratory tract and the first line of defense against inhaled air pollutants. Estimates of regional deposition in the thoracic region are based on data obtained with human volunteers, and that data showed great variability in the magnitude of deposition under similar experimental conditions. In the past decade, studies with physical casts and computational fluid dynamic simulation have improved upon the understanding of deposition mechanisms and have shown some association of aerosol deposition with airway geometry. This information has been analyzed to improve deposition equations, which incorporate characteristic airway dimensions to address intersubject variability of deposition during nasal breathing. Deposition in the nasal and oral airways is dominated by the inertial mechanism for particles >0.5 w m and by the diffusion mechanism for particles <0.5 w m. Deposition data from adult and child nasal airway casts with detailed geometric data can be expressed as E n = 1 m exp( m 110 Stk), where the Stokes number is a function of the aerodynamic diameter ( d a ), flow rate ( Q ), and the characteristic nasal airway dimension, the minimum cross-sectional area ( A min ). In vivo data for each human volunteer follow the equation when the appropriate value of A min is used. For the diffusion deposition, in vivo deposition data for ultrafine particles and in vivo and cast data for radon progeny were used to derive the following deposition: E n = 1 m exp( m 0.355 S f 4.14 D 0.5 Q m 0.28 ), where S f is the normalized surface area in the turbinate region of the nasal airway, and D is the diffusion coefficient. The constant is not significantly different for inspiratory deposition than for expiratory deposition. By using the appropriate characteristic dimension, S f , one can predict the variability of in vivo nasal deposition fairly well. Similar equations for impaction and diffusion deposition were obtained for deposition during oral breathing. However, the equations did not include airway dimensions for intersubject variability, because the data set did not have airway dimension measurements. Further studies with characteristic airway dimensions for oral deposition are needed. These equations could be used in lung deposition models to improve estimates of extrathoracic deposition and intersubject variability.     

Deposition of Ultrafine Aerosols and Thoron Progeny in Replicas of Nasal Airways of Young Children

The deposition efficiencies of ultrafine aerosols and thoron progeny were measured in youth nasal replicas. Clear polyester-resin casts of the upper airways of 1.5-yr-old (Cast G), 2.5-yr-old (Cast H), and 4-yr-old (Cast I) children were used. These casts were constructed from series of coronal magnetic resonance images of healthy children. The casts extended from the nostril tip to the junction of the nasopharynx and pharynx. These casts were similar in construction to those used in previous studies (Swift et al. 1992; Cheng et al. 1993). Total deposition was measured for monodisperse NaCl or Ag aerosols between 0.0046 and 0.20 (Jim in diameter at inspiratory and expiratory flow rates of 3, 7, and 16 L min^?1 (covering a near-normal range of breathing rates for children of different ages). Deposition efficiency decreased with increasing particle size and flow rate, indicating that diffusion was the main deposition mechanism. Deposition efficiency also decreased with increasing age at a given flow rate and particle size. At 16 L min^?1, the inspiratory deposition efficiencies in Cast G were 33% and 6% for 0.008- and 0.03-μm particles, respectively. Nasal deposition of thoron progeny with a mean diameter of 0.0013 μm was substantially higher (80%-93%) than those of the ultrafine aerosol particles, but still had a similar flow dependence. Both the aerosol and thoron progeny data were used to establish a theoretical equation relating deposition efficiency to the diffusion coefficient (D in cm² s^?1) and flow rate (Q in L min^?1) based on a turbulent diffusion process. Data from all casts can be expressed in a single equation previously developed from an adult nasal cast: E = 1 - exp(-aD ^0.5 Q ^?0.125). We further demonstrated that the effect of age, including changes to nasal airway size and breathing flow rate, on nasal deposition can be expressed in the parameter “a” of the fitted equation. Based on this information and information on minute volumes for different age groups, we predicted nasal deposition in age groups ranging from 1.5- to 20-yr-old at resting breathing rates. Our results showed that the nasal deposition increases with decreasing age for a given particle size between 0.001 to 0.2 μm. This information will be useful in deriving future population-wide models of respiratory tract dosimetry.     

The Relationship between Secondary Flows and Particle Deposition Patterns in Airway Bifurcations

The relationship between localized fluid dynamics and localized particle deposition patterns within bronchial airway bifurcations upon inspiration and expiration was analyzed for different bifurcation geometries, flow conditions, and particle sizes. For the simulation of three-dimensional airflow patterns in airway bifurcation models, the Navier-Stokes and continuity equations were solved numerically by the finite volume Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) program package FIRE. Spatial particle deposition patterns were determined by the intersection of randomly selected particle trajectories with the surrounding wall surfaces. While three-dimensional flow patterns were characterized by their corresponding two-dimensional secondary flow fields, three-dimensional deposition patterns were represented by their related two-dimensional deposition density plots. Two particle sizes were selected to explore the relationship between secondary flows and localized particle deposition patterns: 0.01 w m, to illustrate the effects of Brownian motion, and 10 w m, to display the effects of impaction and sedimentation. Changes in bifurcation geometry (shape of bifurcation zone, branching angle) and flow conditions (flow rate, inlet flow profile, direction of flow) lead to variations in resulting secondary flow patterns, which were reflected by corresponding differences in related particle deposition patterns. In conclusion, a distinct relationship could be observed between secondary flow patterns and deposition density plots, demonstrating that particle deposition patterns in airway bifurcations are not only determined by physical forces acting upon individual particles, but also by convective transport processes of the carrier fluid.     

Characterization of Submicrometer Aerosol Deposition in Extrathoracic Airways during Nasal Exhalation

Submicrometer and especially fine aerosols that enter the respiratory tract are largely exhaled. However, the deposition of these aerosols under expiratory conditions is not well characterized. In this study, expiratory deposition patterns of both ultrafine (<100 nm) and fine (100–1000 nm) respiratory aerosols were numerically modeled in a realistic nasal-laryngeal airway geometry. Particle sizes ranging from 1 through 1000 nm and exhalation flow rates from 4 through 45 L/min were considered. Under these conditions, turbulence only appeared significant in the laryngeal and pharyngeal regions, whereas the nasal passages were primarily in the laminar regime. Exhaled particles were simulated with both a continuous-phase drift flux velocity correction (DF-VC) model and a discrete Lagrangian tracking approach. For the deposition of ultrafine particles, both models provided a good match to existing experimental values, and simulation results corroborated an existing in vivo–based diffusion parameter (i.e., D ^0.5 Q ^?0.28). For fine particles, inertia-based deposition was found to have a greater dependence on the Reynolds number than on the Stokes number (i.e., St^0.1 _kRe^0.9), indicating that secondary flows may significantly influence aerosol deposition in the nasal-laryngeal geometry. A new correlation was proposed for deposition in the extrathoracic airways that is applicable for both ultrafine and fine aerosols over a broad range of nasal exhalation conditions. Results of this study indicate that physical realism of the airway model is crucial in determining particle behavior and fate and that the laryngeal and pharyngeal regions should be retained in future studies of expiratory deposition in the nasal region.     

Effectiveness of Direct Lagrangian Tracking Models for Simulating Nanoparticle Deposition in the Upper Airways

Direct Lagrangian particle tracking may provide an effective method for simulating the deposition of ultrafine aerosols in the upper respiratory airways that can account for finite inertia and slip correction effects. However, use of the Lagrangian approach for simulating ultrafine aerosols has been limited due to computational cost and numerical difficulties. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of direct Lagrangian tracking methods for calculating ultrafine aerosol transport and deposition in flow fields consistent with the upper respiratory tract. Representative geometries that have been considered include a straight tubular flow field, a 90° tubular bend, and an idealized replica of the human oral airway. The Lagrangian particle tracking algorithms considered include the Fluent Brownian motion (BM) routine, a user-defined BM model, and a user-defined BM model in conjunction with a near-wall interpolation (NWI) algorithm. Lagrangian deposition results have been compared with a chemical species Eulerian model, which neglects particle inertia, and available experimental data. Results indicate that the Fluent BM routine incorrectly predicts the diffusion-driven deposition of ultrafine aerosols by up to one order of magnitude in all cases considered. For the tubular and 90° bend geometries, Lagrangian model results with a user-defined BM routine agreed well with the Eulerian model, available analytic correlations, and experimental deposition data. Considering the oral airway model, the best match to empirical deposition data over a range of particle sizes from 1 to 120 nm was provided by the Lagrangian model with user-defined BM and NWI routines. Therefore, a direct Lagrangian transport model with appropriate user-defined routines provides an effective approach to accurately predict the deposition of nanoparticles in the respiratory tract.     

Particle Deposition in a Cast of Human Oral Airways

Oral and nasal airways are entryways to the respiratory tract. Most people breathe through the nasal airway during rest or light exercise, then switch to oral/nasal breathing during heavy exercise or work. Resistance through the oral airways is much lower than through the nasal airways, so fewer aerosol particles are deposited in the oral airways. Aerosol drugs are usually delivered by inhalation to the lung via the oral route for that reason. Oral deposition data from humans are limited, and those available show great intersubject variability. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of particle size and breathing rate on the deposition pattern in a human oral airway cast with a defined geometry. The airway replica included the oral cavity, pharynx, larynx, trachea, and 3 generations of bronchi. The oral portion of the cast was molded from a dental impression of the oral cavity in a human volunteer, while the other airway portions of the cast were made from a cadaver. Nine different sizes of polystyrene latex fluorescent particles in the size range of 0.93-30 mu m were used in the study. Regional deposition was measured at a constant inspiratory flow rate of 15, 30, and 60 L min^-1. Deposition in the oral airway appeared to increase with an increasing flow rate and particle diameter. Deposition at the highest flow rate of 60 L min^-1 was close to 90% for particles >20 mu m. Particles> about 10 mu m deposited mainly in the oral cavity. Deposition efficiency has been found to be a unique function of the Stokes number, suggesting that impaction is the dominant deposition mecha nism. Oral deposition can be approximated by a theoretical deposition model of inertial impaction in a 180 degrees curved tube, assuming perfect mixing in a turbulent flow. Our model suggests that the minimum dimension near the larynx and the average cross-sectional area are important parameters for oral airway deposition; however, additional data from the oral airway replica are needed to ascertain whether these are indeed the critical dimensions. Information from the present study will add to our knowledge of the deposition mechanism, the correlation of particle deposition with airway geometry, and eventually the best way to deliver aerosol drugs.     

Continuous Measurements of Ambient Particle Deposition in Human Subjects

The total deposition fraction (TDF) of fine and ultrafine aerosols was measured in a group of six healthy adults exposed to polydisperse ambient aerosols in Boston. Fifteen repeated inhalation-exhalation cycles were conducted during a given exposure session. Deposition efficiency for particles with aerodynamic diameter ranging from 63.5 to 2045 nm was determined using the average concentration of inhaled and exhaled particles measured during these cycles. Deposition efficiencies ranged from 7.3±18.7%(240-275 nm) to 98.6±28.1%(1545-2045 nm). Subjects exhibited similar deposition patterns with minimum efficiencies between 200-400 nm. Results from ANOVA and mixed-model regression analyses showed significant differences (p < 0.05) in particle deposition efficiency by particle size as well as among the subjects. Deposition efficiencies varied most among the subjects for particles between 100 and 1000 nm in size. A comparison with the ICRP model showed good agreement, with best agreement for male subjects and particle sizes <400 nm.     

Deposition of Ultrafine Particles at Carinal Ridges of the Upper Bronchial Airways

Bifurcations of the upper bronchial airways are primary hot spots for deposition of inhaled particles and noxious gases. Deposition of coarse particles in the carinal ridges results from inertial impaction, and deposition distal to these sites is attributed to secondary flows. Diffusional deposition of ultrafine particles on carinae surfaces is studied here. Similarity solutions for both the flow and concentration fields at the respective boundary layers that develop near the surface of a wedge are presented, corresponding to a relatively high Re number. The expressions developed for the deposition efficiency compare favorably to those obtained by rigorous computational fluid dynamics simulations. Yet unlike simulation-derived expressions that pertain to the specific geometry and flow conditions studied, our expressions are robust and can account for different branching angles, airflow rates, and particle sizes. The average diffusive flux toward the carina walls is in good agreement with experimental deposition data, as well as with simulation results specifically designed to account for deposition hot spots at airway bifurcations. The expressions obtained can be easily implemented in algebraic inhalation dosimetry models to estimate deposition profiles along the whole respiratory system.     

Computer Simulation of the Flow Field and Particle Deposition by Diffusion in a 3-D Human Airway Bifurcation

ABSTRACT

Air flow and ultrafine particle diffusion patterns within an airway bifurcation are investigated by numerically solving the corresponding full Navier-Stokes equations in a three-dimensional curvilinear coordinate system using PHOENICS flow-simulation software. Weibel's human lung morphology, airway generation I = O, was applied in the computer simulation. Computational parameters such as grid sizes, boundary condition treatments, iteration numbers, and convergence criteria have been verified by experimental data measured within the same (mathematically specified) bifurcation geometry. Velocity patterns generated by computer simulation show excellent agreement with the experimental results. Detailed velocity and particle concentration distributions are discussed. Results show that both the inlet and outlet flow boundary conditions have significant effects on the flow and concentration distribution patterns within the bifurcation. The scales of secondary flow within the daughter branches are shown be particularly sensitive to the inlet boundary condition.     

Particle Deposition in a Cast of Human Tracheobronchial Airways

Abstract

Regional particle deposition efficiency and deposition patterns were studied experimentally in a human airway replica made from an adult cadaver. The replica includes the oral cavity, pharynx, larynx, trachea, and four generations of bronchi. This study reports deposition results in the tracheobronchial (TB) region. Nine different sizes of monodispersed, polystyrene latex fluorescent particles in the size range of 0.93–30 μm were delivered into the lung cast with the flow rates of 15, 30, and 60 l min^{? 1}. Deposition in the TB region appeared to increase with the increasing flow rate and particle size. Comparison of deposition data obtained from physical casts showed agreement with results obtained from realistic airway replicas that included the larynx. Deposition data obtained from idealized airway models or replicas showed lower deposition efficiency. We also compared experimental data with theoretical models based on a simplified bend and bifurcation model. A deposition equation derived from these models was used in a lung dosimetry model for inhaled particles, and we demonstrated that there was general agreement with theoretical models. However, the agreement was not consistent over the large range of Stokes number. The deposition efficiency was found as a function of the Stokes number, bifurcation angle, and the diameters of parent and daughter tubes. An empirical model was developed for the particle deposition efficiency in the TB region based on the experimental data. This model, combined with the oral deposition model developed previously, can be used to predict the particle deposition for inertial effects with improved accuracy.     

Airflow and Deposition of Nano-Particles in a Human Nasal Cavity

A 3D computational model was developed to study the flow and the transport and deposition of nano-size particle in a realistic human nasal passage. The nasal cavity was constructed from a series of MRI images of coronal sections of a nose of a live human subject. For several breathing rates associated with low or moderate activities, the steady state flows in the nasal passage were simulated numerically. The airflow simulation results were compared with the available experimental data for the nasal passage. Despite the anatomical differences of the human subjects used in the experiments and computer model, the simulation results were in qualitative agreement with the experimental data.

Deposition and transport of ultrafine particles (1 to 100 nm) in the nasal cavity for different breathing rates were also simulated using an Eulerian-Lagrangian approach. The simulation results for the nasal capture efficiency were found to be in reasonable agreement with the available experimental data for a number of human subjects given typical anatomical differences. The computational results for the nasal capture efficiency for nano-particles and various breathing rates in the laminar regime were found to correlate well with the ratio of particle diffusivity to the breathing rate especially for the particles smaller than 20 nm. Based on the simulated results, a semi-empirical equation for the capture efficiency of the nasal passage for nano-size particles was fitted in terms of Peclet number.     

A Model of Deposition of Hygroscopic Particles in the Human Lung

Many aerosols in the environment are hygroscopic and grow in size once inhaled into the humid respiratory tract. The deposited amount and the distribution of the deposited particles among airways differ from insoluble particles of the same initial diameter. As particles grow in size, diffusive behavior tends to diminish while impaction and sedimentation effects increase. A multiple-path model for deposition of hygroscopic particles in the respiratory tract was developed for symmetric and asymmetric lung geometries by implementing particle size change in a model of insoluble particle deposition in lungs. Particle growth by molecular diffusion of water vapor to the particle surface was formulated. The growth model included temperature depression, solute, Kelvin, and Fuchs effects. Particle growth during travel time in each lung airway was computed. Average loss efficiency per airway was calculated by incorporating contributions from particles of various sizes acquired in that airway. A mass balance on the number of particles that entered, exited, deposited, or remained suspended was performed per airway to obtain regional and local deposition fractions of particles in the lung. The deposition fractions calculated for salt particles showed a drop for submicrometer particles in the tracheobronchial region and a significant increase in deposition for micrometer particles or larger. Consequently, very few fine and coarse salt particles reached the alveolar region to be available for deposition. Overall, lung deposition of ultrafine particles decreased for salt particles. Deposition for fine and coarse salt particles in the lung was larger than that of insoluble particles of the same initial particle size.     

Computational fluid dynamics simulations of submicrometer and micrometer particle deposition in the nasal passages of a Sprague-Dawley rat

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations were conducted in a model of the complete nasal passages of an adult male Sprague-Dawley rat to predict regional deposition patterns of inhaled particles in the size range of 1 nm to 10 μm. Steady-state inspiratory airflow rates of 185, 369, and 738 ml/min (equal to 50%, 100%, and 200% of the estimated minute volume during resting breathing) were simulated using Fluent?. The Lagrangian particle tracking method was used to calculate trajectories of individual particles that were passively released from the nostrils. Computational predictions of total nasal deposition compared well with experimental data from the literature when deposition fractions were plotted against the Stokes and Peclet numbers for micro- and nanoparticles, respectively. Regional deposition was assessed by computing deposition efficiency curves for major nasal epithelial cell types. For micrometer particles, maximum olfactory deposition was 27% and occurred at the lowest flow rate with a particle diameter of 7 μm. Maximum deposition on mucus-coated non-olfactory epithelium was 27% for 3.25 μm particles at the highest flow rate. For submicrometer particles, olfactory deposition reached a maximum of 20% with a particle size of 5 nm at the highest flow rate, whereas deposition on mucus-coated non-olfactory epithelium reached a peak of approximately 60% for 1–4 nm particles at all flow rates. These simulations show that regional particle deposition patterns are highly dependent on particle size and flow rate, indicating the importance of accurate quantification of deposition in the rat for extrapolation of results to humans.     

Diffusional Particle Loss Upstream of Isokinetic Sampling Inlets

Isokinetic sampling, in which a subsample is extracted from the center of laminar aerosol flow, is routinely used to collect representative particles for analysis. Isokinetic sampling minimizes wall effects, including particle loss due to Brownian diffusion to the tube wall. This particle diffusion is analogous to the heat transfer problem originally posed by Graetz in 1883. Analytical solutions to the Graetz problem have been applied to calculate particle loss averaged over the entire main flow. However, these solutions overestimate diffusional particle loss near the center of the main flow. In the present solution, confluent hypergeometric functions are used to solve analytically for particle concentration as a function of radius. The solution is integrated near the center of the main flow to determine particle loss for isokinetically sampled aerosols. Sampling efficiencies valid down to nanometer-sized particles are presented in terms of dimensionless parameters. Diffusional particle loss for isokinetically sampled aerosol can be 1.8 times less than that from the main flow aerosol. The present results can be used to design isokinetic sampling systems and to assess particle loss in these systems. For 5 nm diameter particles sampled isokinetically from a laminar flow tube (0.318 cm tube radius, 10 m length) into an ultrafine condensation particle counter, sampling efficiency is strongly affected by main flow Reynolds number, Re; sampling efficiency increases from 4.9%at Re=100 to 99%at Re=1500.     

In-Vivo Measurements of Micrometer-Sized Particle Deposition in the Nasal Cavities of Taiwanese Adults

It has been observed that Asians and Caucasians possess considerably different craniofacial features, which may affect the anatomical structure of the upper respiratory tract and, consequently, the characteristics of particle deposition. Most deposition studies on the human respiratory tract were primarily based on a limited number of Caucasian subjects. Therefore, data of the particle deposition efficiency in the upper respiratory tract of Asians are needed to supplement the understanding of the deposition characteristics in the human respiratory tract. This study measured the nasal deposition efficiency of particles ranging from 0.5 to 20 μm in five Taiwanese male and four Taiwanese female adults under different inspiratory flow rates. The measured deposition efficiency showed a very large intersubject variability in the inertial parameters, ranging between 10³ to 5 × 10⁴ μm² cm³/s, and the deposition efficiency of the subjects with similar values of the minimum nasal cross-sectional area approaches to each other. This study showed that Taiwanese adults have lower nasal deposition efficiency than Caucasians, and that the differences in the nostril shape, inclination of nostrils, and nasal hair density between the two ethnic groups are likely the causes. In addition, this study suggested that up to 15% of overestimation in the nasal deposition efficiency for larger particles may occur if the inhalation efficiency is not considered. An empirical equation adopting inspiratory flow rate and the minimum nasal cross-sectional area was developed to predict the nasal particle deposition in the upper airway of Taiwanese adults.

Copyright 2012 American Association for Aerosol Research     

Computation of local enhancement factors for the quantification of particle deposition patterns in airway bifurcations

Spatial deposition patterns in two different geometric models of bronchial airway bifurcations were computed by solving numerically the 3D Navier–Stokes equations and simulating particle trajectories under the simultaneous action of impaction, sedimentation, diffusion, and interception by Monte Carlo techniques. To quantify the inhomogeneities of the predicted deposition patterns the whole surface of the bifurcation was scanned with a prespecified surface area element to determine the number of particles deposited per unit surface area. The local deposition density in a given surface element, relative to the average deposition density, was then defined as the local deposition enhancement factor.In the present study, the computation of local deposition enhancement factors focused on inspiratory particle deposition patterns. Our results revealed that the distributions of local deposition enhancement factors along the surface of a bifurcation exhibit strong inhomogeneities for all particle sizes and bifurcation geometries considered here. The maximum enhancement factor in a bifurcation was found to be about 100 in the upper bronchial airways for any particle size in the diameter range from 0.01 to 10 μm, obtained with a 100 μm×100 μm scanning element. These numerically computed local deposition enhancement factors can be directly applied to inhalation health effect protocols to consider the effects of highly localized doses.     

The Deposition of Unattached Radon Progeny in a Tracheobronchial Cast as Measured with Iodine Vapor

ABSTRACT

The deposition of the unattached radon progeny in hollow cast models of the human tracheobronchial region was studied using iodine vapor. The experiments were conducted in a replicate cast whose inner surface was coated with NaOH impregnated charcoal powder. This coating can trap iodine molecules by converting iodine into iodide and iodate, so that the iodine gas molecules behave like particles and stick to the surface upon contact. The iodine vapor is selected as a surrogate of radon progeny because the effective diffusion coefficient of iodine vapor, 0.08 cm² s^?1, is close to the diffusivities of unattached radon progeny (0.03–0.07 cm² s^?1). Deposition experiments have been conducted under constant and cyclic inspiratory flow between 5 and 30 LPM. It was found that the deposition of iodine vapor under constant flow can be described by diffusion in laminar flow. The cyclic inspiratory flow pattern does not significantly change the total deposition in the tracheobronchial cast. This observation, combined with the enhanced particle deposition due to charge (Cohen et al., 1996) suggest that particle charge plays an important role in the deposition of submicron particles in human airways.     

Deposition of magnetite particles from flowing suspensions under flow‐boiling and single‐phase forced‐convective heat transfer

The deposition rate of colloidal magnetite particles was measured under both single‐phase forced‐convective and flow‐boiling conditions. All measurements were made at alkaline pH where both the heat transfer surface and the surface of the magnetite particles appear to be negatively charged. For single‐phase forced convection, the deposition rate constant is lower than the mass transfer coefficient for colloidal particles, and the difference is attributed to the force of repulsion between the negatively charged surfaces of the particle and substrate. The deposition rate measured under flow‐boiling conditions is lower than that reported for the deposition of colloidal particles at neutral pH. The difference is, again, attributed to the force of repulsion between the particle and substrate. Particle removal rates were significantly lower than deposition rates; analysis using the theory of turbulent bursts suggests a removal efficiency of only 10^?9% for each turbulent burst. The low removal efficiency is consistent with the particle diameter being significantly smaller than the thickness of the laminar sublayer in these tests.