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Modeling Deposition of Inhaled Particles
Citation:
ISAACS, K. K., J. A. ROSATI, AND T. B. MARTONEN. Modeling Deposition of Inhaled Particles . Second Edition, Chapter 5, Lev S. Ruzer, Naomi H. Harley (ed.), Handbook: Measurement, Dosimetry, and Health Effects. CRC Press - Taylor & Francis Group, LLC, Boca Raton, FL, , 83-127, (2012).
Impact/Purpose:
The National Exposure Research Laboratory′s (NERL′s) Human Exposure and Atmospheric Sciences Division (HEASD) conducts research in support of EPA′s mission to protect human health and the environment. HEASD′s research program supports Goal 1 (Clean Air) and Goal 4 (Healthy People) of EPA′s strategic plan. More specifically, our division conducts research to characterize the movement of pollutants from the source to contact with humans. Our multidisciplinary research program produces Methods, Measurements, and Models to identify relationships between and characterize processes that link source emissions, environmental concentrations, human exposures, and target-tissue dose. The impact of these tools is improved regulatory programs and policies for EPA.
Description:
The mathematical modeling of the deposition and distribution of inhaled aerosols within human lungs is an invaluable tool in predicting both the health risks associated with inhaled environmental aerosols and the therapeutic dose delivered by inhaled pharmacological drugs. However, mathematical modeling of aerosol deposition requires knowledge of the intricate geometry of the respiratory network and the resulting complex motion of air and particles within the airways. In this chapter, an overview of the basic engineering theory and respiratory morphology required for deposition modeling is covered. Furthermore, current deposition modeling approaches are reviewed, and many factors affecting deposition are discussed. Experimental methods for measuring lung deposition are presented, albeit briefly, and the comparison between experimental results and modeling predictions are examined for a selection of modeling efforts.