Internal dose of particles in the elderly—modeling based on aerosol measurements

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international Vol. 25; no. 24; pp. 23645 - 23656
• Main Authors: Almeida-Silva, Marina, Pilou, Marika, Housiadas, Christos, Almeida, Susana M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.08.2018; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Aerosols - administration & dosage; Aerosols - adverse effects; Aerosols - pharmacokinetics; Aged, 80 and over; Air Pollution, Indoor - adverse effects; Air Pollution, Indoor - analysis; Airborne particulates; Alveoli; Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Exposure - adverse effects; Environmental Exposure - analysis; Environmental Health; Environmental science; Exposure; Female; Geriatrics; Humans; Lung - drug effects; Lymph nodes; Lymph Nodes - drug effects; Lymphatic system; Male; Metropolitan areas; Modelling; Models, Theoretical; Nursing Homes; Older people; Particulate emissions; Particulate matter; Particulate Matter - administration & dosage; Particulate Matter - adverse effects; Particulate Matter - analysis; Particulate Matter - pharmacokinetics; Portugal; Pulmonary Alveoli - drug effects; Respiratory system; Respiratory tract; Review Article; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control; Portugal; Model; Human respiratory tract; Clearance; Elders; Particulate matter; Deposition
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-018-2661-3

The paper presents an integrated methodology that combines experimental and modeling techniques and links exposure to airborne particulate matter (PM) with internal dose in the respiratory system and burden in adjacent tissues over a period of time. The methodology is used to estimate doses in the respiratory systems of elders that reside in 10 elderly care centers (ECCs) in the metropolitan area of Lisbon. Measurements of PM were performed in the ECCs and combined with a time-budget survey for the occupants. This information served as input to the first model that estimated particle doses in the different regions of the respiratory tract of the elderly, and then a second model was used to calculate particle build-up in the alveolar region, the interstitium and the hilar lymph nodes of the elders over a 5-year exposure period. It was found that in 5 years of continuous exposure to the average particle concentration measured over all ECCs, 258 mg of all particles are deposited on the surface of the alveoli of which 79.6% are cleared, 18.8% are retained in the alveolar region, 1.5% translocate to the hilar lymph nodes, and 0.1% are transferred to the interstitium.