title: Fine and ultrafine particle doses in the respiratory tract from digital printing operations.
abstract: In this study, we report for the first time particle number doses in different parts of the human respiratory tract and real-time deposition rates for particles in the 10 nm to 10 μm size range emitted by digital printing operations. Particle number concentrations (PNCs) and size distribution were measured in a typical small-sized printing house using a NanoScan scanning mobility particle sizer and an optical particle sizer. Particle doses in human lung were estimated applying a multiple-path particle dosimetry model under two different breathing scenarios. PNC was dominated by the ultrafine particle fractions (UFPs, i.e., particles smaller than 100 nm) exhibiting almost nine times higher levels in comparison to the background values. The average deposition rate fοr each scenario in the whole lung was estimated at 2.0 and 2.9 × 107particles min-1, while the respective highest particle dose in the tracheobronchial tree (2.0 and 2.9 × 109particles) was found for diameter of 50 nm. The majority of particles appeared to deposit in the acinar region and most of them were in the UFP size range. For both scenarios, the maximum deposition density (9.5 × 107and 1.5 × 108particles cm-2) was observed at the lobar bronchi. Overall, the differences in the estimated particle doses between the two scenarios were 30-40% for both size ranges.
authors.affiliation: Environmental Pollution Control Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124, Thessaloniki, Greece. voliotis@chem.auth.gr.
authors.forename: Aristeidis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Voliotis
authors.affiliation: Environmental Pollution Control Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Karali
authors.affiliation: Environmental Pollution Control Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Athanasios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kouras
authors.affiliation: Environmental Pollution Control Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Constantini
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Samara
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D019570:Inhalation Exposure; D008168:Lung; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D010316:Particle Size; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000032:analysis*; D011327:Printing
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D052638:Particulate Matter
keywords: Digital printing; Indoor air; Lung deposition; Occupational exposure; Ultrafine particles