Deposition modeling of ambient aerosols in human respiratory system:Health implication offine particles penetration into pulmonary region

Özet

In this study, we have monitored 1-h (afternoon) ambient concentrations of size-segregated particles by means of12 channels aerosol spectrometer (PALAS; welas®2000) over 130 days in one year (2015/2016) from a highlypolluted and populated region (Kanpur) in central Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP). Average mass concentrations ofPM2.5(fine) and PM10-2.5(coarse) varied from∼40–160 and 30–67μgm−3, respectively. PM mass size dis-tribution analysis revealed multi-modal peaks in monsoon (tri-modal: < 0.5; 1.4–1.8; 7.8μm), post monsoon(tetra-modal: < 0.5; 1.4–1.8; 3.2; 7.8μm), winter (tri-modal: < 0.5; 1.4–1.8; 5.8μm) and summer (tetra-modal: < 0.5; 1.4–1.8; 3.2; 7.8μm). The MMAD ± GSD were found to be 2.1μm ± 3.0 (monsoon),1.0 ± 3.0μm (post monsoon), 1.1μm ± 2.7 (winter) and 2.4μm ± 2.9 (summer). A computational model(Multiple Path Particle Dosimetry: MPPD, v 2.11) analysis revealed total PM mass deposition in human re-spiratory airways (test subject: male adult) was 34.1μg in monsoon, 64.5μg in post monsoon, 40.6μg in winterand 34.4μg in summer. Coarse particles exhibited higher mass deposition fraction (84%) in HEAD (extra-thoracic), whereasfine particles deposited significantly (33%) in PUL (pulmonary region). Intensification ofbiomass and biofuel burning emissions during post-monsoon and wintertime have implications to deeper pe-netration and higher mass deposition fraction offine-particles in the PUL region. High PM concentration and itssignificant deposition in PUL region calls for immediate measures to be taken to improve regional air quality toreduce health hazards and disease burden for exposed population.