Aerosol pollution in urban environments has been recognized to be responsible of important pathologies of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, it has also been associated to increased mortality and hospital admissions. In this perspective, great attention has been addressed to Ultra Fine Particles (< 100 nm), since they efficiently penetrate into the respiratory system and are capable of translocation from the airways into the blood circulation. High aerosol size resolution measurements are important for a correct assessment of the deposition efficiency in the human respiratory system as well as time resolution is another important requisite. Time resolved aerosol particle number size distributions have been measured in downtown Rome. FMPS and SMPS measurements have been carried out at the INAIL’s Pilot Station, located in downtown Rome, in an area characterized by high density of autovehicular traffic. The two instruments have allowed investigating deeply the urban aerosol in the range 5.6-560 nm and 3.5-117 nm, respectively. Furthermore, moving from these data the total dose of particles and ultrafine particles deposited in the regions of the respiratory system (head, tracheobronchial and alveolar in the different lung lobes, have been estimated. Dosimeter estimates were performed with the Multiple-Path Particle Dosimetry model (MPPD v.2.1). The paper discusses the aerosol doses deposited in the respiratory system of individuals exposed in proximity of traffic. During traffic peak hours, about 6.6×1010 particles are deposited into the respiratory system. Such dose is almost entirely made of UFPs. According to the greater dose estimated, right lung lobes are expected to be more susceptible to respiratory pathologies than left lobes.

Dynamic and Behavior of Ultrafine Particles in Urban Atmosphere: Toxicity and Deposition in Human Respiratory System

Pasquale Avino
;
2018-01-01

Abstract

Aerosol pollution in urban environments has been recognized to be responsible of important pathologies of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, it has also been associated to increased mortality and hospital admissions. In this perspective, great attention has been addressed to Ultra Fine Particles (< 100 nm), since they efficiently penetrate into the respiratory system and are capable of translocation from the airways into the blood circulation. High aerosol size resolution measurements are important for a correct assessment of the deposition efficiency in the human respiratory system as well as time resolution is another important requisite. Time resolved aerosol particle number size distributions have been measured in downtown Rome. FMPS and SMPS measurements have been carried out at the INAIL’s Pilot Station, located in downtown Rome, in an area characterized by high density of autovehicular traffic. The two instruments have allowed investigating deeply the urban aerosol in the range 5.6-560 nm and 3.5-117 nm, respectively. Furthermore, moving from these data the total dose of particles and ultrafine particles deposited in the regions of the respiratory system (head, tracheobronchial and alveolar in the different lung lobes, have been estimated. Dosimeter estimates were performed with the Multiple-Path Particle Dosimetry model (MPPD v.2.1). The paper discusses the aerosol doses deposited in the respiratory system of individuals exposed in proximity of traffic. During traffic peak hours, about 6.6×1010 particles are deposited into the respiratory system. Such dose is almost entirely made of UFPs. According to the greater dose estimated, right lung lobes are expected to be more susceptible to respiratory pathologies than left lobes.
2018
978-81-928924-5-0
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11695/76132
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