Deposition of graphene nanomaterial aerosols in human upper airways. 2016

Wei-Chung Su, and Bon Ki Ku, and Pramod Kulkarni, and Yung Sung Cheng
a Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute , Albuquerque , New Mexico.

Graphene nanomaterials have attracted wide attention in recent years on their application to state-of-the-art technology due to their outstanding physical properties. On the other hand, the nanotoxicity of graphene materials also has rapidly become a serious concern especially in occupational health. Graphene naomaterials inevitably could become airborne in the workplace during manufacturing processes. The inhalation and subsequent deposition of graphene nanomaterial aerosols in the human respiratory tract could potentially result in adverse health effects to exposed workers. Therefore, investigating the deposition of graphene nanomaterial aerosols in the human airways is an indispensable component of an integral approach to graphene occupational health. For this reason, this study carried out a series of airway replica deposition experiments to obtain original experimental data for graphene aerosol airway deposition. In this study, graphene aerosols were generated, size classified, and delivered into human airway replicas (nasal and oral-to-lung airways). The deposition fraction and deposition efficiency of graphene aerosol in the airway replicas were obtained by a novel experimental approach. The experimental results acquired showed that the fractional deposition of graphene aerosols in airway sections studied were all less than 4%, and the deposition efficiency in each airway section was generally lower than 0.03. These results indicate that the majority of the graphene nanomaterial aerosols inhaled into the human respiratory tract could easily penetrate through the head airways as well as the upper part of the tracheobronchial airways and then transit down to the lower lung airways, where undesired biological responses might be induced.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008953 Models, Anatomic Three-dimensional representation to show anatomic structures. Models may be used in place of intact animals or organisms for teaching, practice, and study. Anatomic Models,Models, Surgical,Moulages,Models, Anatomical,Anatomic Model,Anatomical Model,Anatomical Models,Model, Anatomic,Model, Anatomical,Model, Surgical,Moulage,Surgical Model,Surgical Models
D010316 Particle Size Relating to the size of solids. Particle Sizes,Size, Particle,Sizes, Particle
D012137 Respiratory System The tubular and cavernous organs and structures, by means of which pulmonary ventilation and gas exchange between ambient air and the blood are brought about. Respiratory Tract,Respiratory Systems,Respiratory Tracts,System, Respiratory,Tract, Respiratory
D006108 Graphite An allotropic form of carbon that is used in pencils, as a lubricant, and in matches and explosives. It is obtained by mining and its dust can cause lung irritation. Graphene
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000336 Aerosols Colloids with a gaseous dispersing phase and either liquid (fog) or solid (smoke) dispersed phase; used in fumigation or in inhalation therapy; may contain propellant agents. Aerosol
D049329 Nanostructures Materials which have structured components with at least one dimension in the range of 1 to 100 nanometers. These include NANOCOMPOSITES; NANOPARTICLES; NANOTUBES; and NANOWIRES. Nanomaterials,Nanostructured Materials,Material, Nanostructured,Materials, Nanostructured,Nanomaterial,Nanostructure,Nanostructured Material
D019570 Inhalation Exposure The exposure to potentially harmful chemical, physical, or biological agents by inhaling them. Exposure, Inhalation,Exposures, Inhalation,Inhalation Exposures

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