Measurements of the total and regional deposition of inhaled particles in the human respiratory tract

The total and regional deposition of monodisperse aerosols in the human respiratory tract has been measured in 12 healthy subjects breathing through the mouth. Radioactively labelled polystyrene particles in the aerodynamic diameter range 3.5–10.0 μm were employed. The total deposition results are similar to those reported by Stahlhofen et al. (1980), showing only a slight progressive increase with particle size, from a mean fraction of 0.79 of the inhaled aerosol at 3.5 μm, to 0.88 for 10 μm particles. The extrathoracic airways show a very marked deposition at all sizes, predominantly in the throat. The throat values rise rapidly from a mean of 0.09 at 3.5 μm to 0.36 at 10 μm particle diameter. Two intrathoracic fractions were also obtained by the widely accepted method of measuring the relative amounts of activity cleared from the thorax as a function of time. Alveolar deposition was apparently still some 0.06 of the inhaled aerosol at 10 μm particle diameter. Tracheo-bronchial deposition showed little change at any particle size except at 3.5 μm, when it was 0.24 of the inhaled aerosol.