Dust overloading causes impairment of pulmonary clearance: evidence from rats and humans.
There is increasing evidence, principally from experiments involving diesel exhaust particles, that pulmonary clearance becomes impaired after exposure to high dust concentrations. This effect is discussed here as a function of the exposure methodology as well as dust concentration. Metal oxide particles do not demonstrate this effect until higher exposures, presumably due to some solubility. Limited data suggesting impaired clearance at high dust loadings in humans is discussed. Thus, impairment may affect all materials and species if deposited in the lung at sufficient rates.
Pritchard
J N
JN
Environmental and Medical Sciences Division UKAEA, Harwell Laboratory, Oxon, UK.
D000818:Animals; D004391:Dust / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D011659:Pulmonary Gas Exchange / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats
D004391:Dust