Dosimetry of inhaled elongate mineral particles in the respiratory tract: The impact of shape factor.

Dosimetry of inhaled elongate mineral particles in the respiratory tract: The impact of shape factor. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 2018 May 05;: Authors: Asgharian B, Owen TP, Kuempel ED, Jarabek AM Abstract Inhalation exposure to some types of fibers (e.g., asbestos) is well known to be associated with respiratory diseases and conditions such as pleural plaques, fibrosis, asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma. In recent years, attention has expanded to other types of elongate mineral particles (EMPs) that may share similar geometry with asbestos fibers but which may differ in mineralogy. Inhalability, dimensions and orientation, and density are major determinants of the aerodynamic behavior for fibers and other EMPs; and the resultant internal dose is recognized as being the critical link between exposure and pathogenesis. Insufficient data are available to fully understand the role of specific physicochemical properties on the potential toxicity across various types of fiber materials. While additional information is required to assess the potential health hazards of EMPs, dosimetry models are currently available to estimate the initially deposited internal dose, which is an essential step in linking airborne exposures to potential health risks. Based on dosimetry model simulations, the inhalability and internal dose of EMPs were found to be greater than that of spherical particles having the same mass or volume. However, the comple...
Source: Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology - Category: Toxicology Authors: Tags: Toxicol Appl Pharmacol Source Type: research