A Comparison Between Inhaled Dust and the Dust Recovered from Human Lungs

Experiments on the loss of dust particles during breathing indicate total deposition in the respiratory tract; subjection of the results to qualitative arguments may give information about alveolar deposition. Measurements of insoluble dust recovered post mortem from human lungs give the absolute retention of dust which was deposited in the alveoli and subsequently shifted, probably to a large extent, to the lymphatic vessels of the lungs. Experimental results for total deposition and absolute retention are discussed in connection with the health risk due to inhaling insoluble particles, such as plutonium dioxide.