Surfactant–ultrafine particle interactions: what we can learn from PM ₁₀ studies

There is increased concern about the associations between particulate air pollution and human health. Inhaled and deposited particles play a crucial role in the aetiology of a range of pulmonary diseases. A variety of pulmonary diseases develop from the inhalation and deposition of pathogenic organisms or noxious particles (e.g. viruses, bacteria, spores, pollen, etc.). The inhalation of soot, burned tobacco and paper leads to common pulmonary diseases: chronic bronchitis and lung cancer.It has been suggested that ultrafine particles might be taken up by cells, including by airway epithelial cells, through a process related to the surface forces exerted on them at the cell membrane–particle interfacial region.