US EPA

72320 

Book/Book Chapter 

Deposition and clearance of inhaled particles 

Schlesinger, RB 

1989 

Taylor & Francis 

Washington, DC 

Concepts in Inhalation Toxicology 

191-224 

is related to other part(s) 006865 Deposition and clearance of inhaled particles

The biologic effects of inhaled particles are a function of their disposition. This, in turn, depends on their patterns of both deposition-i.e., the sites within which they initially come into contact with airway epithelial surfaces and the amounts removed from the inhaled air at these sites-and clearance-i.e., the rates and routes by which deposited particles are physically removed from the respiratory tract. For materials that exert their action upon surface contact, such as irritants, the initial deposition is the predicator of toxic response. In many other cases, however, it is the net result of deposition and clearance-namely, retention or the amount of particles remaining in the respiratory tract at specific times after exposure-that controls toxicity. This chapter provides a basic overview of the processes by which airborne particles are deposited within and cleared from the respiratory tract. 

2 

RO McClelln; RF Henderson