Particle Size Distribution and Human Respiratory Deposition of Trace Metals in Indoor Work Environments

Respiratory response to inhalation of fine particles has been investigated for the aerosol generated by welding. Particles were sampled using a pair of 5-stage cascade impactors operating at 1 l./min flow rate. The subject exhaled into one impactor through an air ballast arrangement, and the other impactor simultaneously sampled the surrounding air. Particle size fractions were analyzed for principal elemental constituents from sulfur to lead using proton induced X-ray emission, PIXE. The results indicated a complex respiratory response, including both an increase in particle size due to exposure to high humidity in the respiratory tract and deposition of particles during inhalation. The response was found to be different for the element group Mn, Cr, Fe, Ni compared to the group K, Ca, Ti by observing the associations among the elements as a function of particle size in the inhaled and exhaled aerosol. However, for respiratory deposition efficiency alone in all runs averaged together, no systematic correlation emerged.