Quantification of Size Segregated Particulate Matter Deposition in Human Airways

Abstract

Background: Air pollution has become a significant concern in both urban and rural sectors due to its catastrophic effect on human health and the environment. Particulate matter (PM) is crucial among criteria pollutants and is well correlated with human mortality and morbidity. Based on aerodynamic size, PM is classified into coarse (PM10) and fine (PM2.5 and PM1 ). A recent study by World Health Organization showed that PM has caused 7 million premature deaths globally. Also, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) identified PM as carcinogenic as it is directly related to lung cancer. Human airway is the primary pathway for PM to enter the human body. Hence the study on coarse and fine PM deposition in the human respiratory tract is essential for health risk assessments. Materials and Methods: Hourly measurements of PM10, PM2.5 and PM1 are measured during a winter using Grimm aerosol spectrometer near an arterial roadside in Chennai city of Tamil Nadu, India. PM deposition in the human airway is investigated using the Multiple-Path Particle Deposition Model (MPPD) version 3.04. In MPPD model, the stochastic structure which depicts the real human lung is considered. The deposition in MPPD model is assessed for three size fractions, i.e. PM10, PM2.5 and PM1 under different breathing scenarios viz. nasal, oral, and oronasal. Results: Highest total deposited mass rate obtained from the MPPD model for PM10, PM2.5, and PM1 are 942 ng min-1, 345 ng min-1, and 104 ng min-1, respectively. The maximum deposited mass rate is also assessed in the head (PM10 = 904 ng min-1; PM2.5 = 244 ng min-1; PM1 = 57 ng min-1), tracheobronchial (PM10 = 284 ng min-1; PM2.5 = 60 ng min-1; PM1 = 24 ng min-1) and pulmonary (PM10 = 32 ng min-1; PM2.5 = 89 ng min-1; PM1 = 27 ng min-1) regions. In the head region, maximum deposition is caused by nasal breathing; whereas, tracheobronchial (TB) and pulmonary regions, the oral breathing leads to higher deposition. Results also showed that for all PM sizes the lobe wise depositions are in the following order: right upper > left lower > left upper > right middle > right lower. Further, the airway clearance results indicated that PM removal is faster in the TB region than the alveolar region.

Authors and Affiliations

Dr. B Srimuruganandam

Keywords

Related Articles

Analysis of Filtration Efficiency of Activated Carbon Coated Sand Beds

Sourcing the clean water has remained of the great importance ever since the civilisation has come into the existence. Continuous efforts are being made to find out the innovative methods and techniques to treat water ef...

A Review of Biochar Based Technologies in Carbon Capture and Sequestration

The emission of greenhouse gases, predominantly, carbon dioxide, due to burning, decomposition and various other ways to dispose of agricultural crop residues or biomass waste has led to an increased persistence of carbo...

Seasonal and Diurnal Variation of Black Carbon Aerosols over Delhi and their Interrelationship with PM2.5 and Meteorological Parameters

Due to industrial, vehicular and residential emission in Delhi, concentration of Black carbon (BC) emitted is substantially high. Black carbon plays a major role in altering the earth’s climate and leads to adverse human...

A Down Draft Gasifier of Biomass Gasification

Great environmental concern is expressed over the release of CO2 from the burning of fossil fuels. When fossil fuels are burnt, carbon from fuels reacts with oxygen from air and produce CO2 . This is the reason for stead...

Pollution, Climate change and Strategies to Increase Maize Production - An Overview

In past, climatic parameters have seen to undergo changes, especially temperature and rainfall. The global temperature has increased significantly which has directly or indirectly affected economically important crops as...

Download PDF file
  • EP ID EP542998
  • DOI 10.24321/2455.3093.201803
  • Views 100
  • Downloads 0

How To Cite

Dr. B Srimuruganandam (2018). Quantification of Size Segregated Particulate Matter Deposition in Human Airways. Journal of Advanced Research in Alternative Energy, Environment and Ecology, 5(4), 15-22. https://europub.co.uk/articles/-A-542998