Deposition of Diesel Exhaust Particles in Mammalian Lungs A Comparison Between Rodents and Man

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Abstract
In establishing the health effect on humans from exposure to diesel exhaust emission, interspecies analogue and data extrapolations are of special significance. In this study, theoretical calculations were made to characterize the regional deposition of diesel exhaust particles in several mammalian lungs: rat, hamster, and human. We found that total and alveolar deposition fractions in a breathing cycle were approximately equal for all species and that deposition patterns along the airway generation were similar, despite significant differences in lung structure and ventilation conditions. However, the surface dose to the airways was found to be several times higher in rodents than in humans.