Aerosolization of particles

Aerosols of particles larger than 2 pm also cause damage to the upper respiratory system. Arsenic oxides, sulfides, and chlorides are used in a variety of industries, such as manufacturing of colored glass, ceramics, semiconductors, and fireworks and in hide processing. However, upper respiratory exposure to these compounds is most likely to occur in ore smelting industries and in pesticide manufacturing. 

Drags to be administered to the nasal cavity are generally formulated as nasal drops, which deposit a film of drag solution, or nasal sprays which deposit an aerosol of particles, droplets or particles suspended in droplets. For absorption of aerosol formulations, deposition of the aerosol must occur followed by dissolution of solid particles if applicable. 

TARGETING LUNG REGIONS BY CONTROLLED AEROSOLIZATION OF PARTICLES... 

Clark I. Used by Germany in 1917. Canister penetrator surprised Allied forces. Dark brown liquid semi-solid viscous mass. Smells of shoe polish. Crystalline in pure state, mp 41°C, low vapour pressure 0.0005 mmHg at20°C. Sprayed in solvent to produce aerosol of particles 0.1-1 pm diameter. Dispersed also by explosion and from burning candles these were described as irritant candles . Vesicant, irritant at 0.1 mg/m3, lethal at high concentration. Headache, vertigo, trembling. 

An air suspension (aerosol) of particles, often originating from combustion or sublimation. Carbon or soot particles less than 0.1 pm in size result from the incomplete combustion of carbonaceons material such as coal or oil. Smoke generally contains droplets as well as dry particles. Tobacco, for instance, produces a wet smoke composed of minute tarry droplets. 

Kenny and SabeP" provided valuable particle size data on aerosols created during laboratory procedures and simulated accidents. In their experience a large part of the material was dispersed as an aerosol of particle size less than 5 pm in diameter. 

The second element of risk assessment is the risk caused by the experimental procedure. Most manipulations of these agents produce aerosols of particles that may either be inhaled or contaminate nearby surifaces (see Section 1.13). It appears that the risk associated with aerosolization is apparently greater to the suc-... 

A liquid sample must be vaporized to a gas or, more likely, to a vapor consisting of an aerosol of gas, small droplets, and even small particles of solid matter. To be examined, the aerosol is mixed with argon gas to make up the needed flow of gas into the plasma and is then swept into the flame. 

Classically, aerosols are particles or droplets that range from about 0.15 to 5 p.m ia size and are suspended or dispersed ia a gaseous medium such as air. However, the term aerosol, as used ia this discussion, identifies a large number of products which are pressure-dispensed as a Hquid or semisohd stream, a mist, a fairly dry to wet spray, a powder, or even a foam. This definition of aerosol focuses on the container and the method of dispensiag, rather than on the form of the product. 

Aerosol products are hermetically sealed, ensuring that the contents caimot leak, spill, or be contaminated. The packages can be considered to be tamper-proof. They deUver the product in an efficient manner generating Httie waste, often to sites of difficult access. By control of particle size, spray pattern, and volume deUvered per second, the product can be appHed directiy without contact by the user. For example, use of aerosol pesticides can minimize user exposure and aerosol first-aid products can soothe without applying painful pressure to a wound. Spray contact lens solutions can be appHed directiy and aerosol lubricants (qv) can be used on machinery in operation. Some preparations, such as stable foams, can only be packaged as aerosols. 

Pharmaceutical powder aerosols have more stringent requirements placed upon the formulation regarding moisture, particle size, and the valve. For metered-dose inhalers, the dispensed product must be deflvered as a spray having a relatively small (3—6 -lm) particle size so that the particles can be deposited at the proper site in the respiratory system. On the other hand, topical powders must be formulated to minimize the number of particles in the 3—6-p.m range because of the adverse effects on the body if these materials are accidently inhaled. 

Optical counters have been widely used to monitor cleanroom technology and particles in oil. Instmments manufactured by Royco Inc. (Menlo Park, California) are available for studying aerosols and particles in Hquids. The HIAC counter (HIAC Instmments, Monte Claire, California) is a widely used stream counter for particles in fluid. One of the more recently developed optical counters is available from Particle Sizing Systems (Santa Barbara, California). The configuration of one of the widely used counters, the Climet counter, is shown in Figure 16. A general review of photozone counters is available (3). 

The sulfur trioxide produced by catalytic oxidation is absorbed in a circulating stream of 98—99% H2SO4 that is cooled to approximately 70—80°C. Water or weaker acid is added as needed to maintain acid concentration. Generally, sulfuric acid of approximately 98.5% concentration is used, because it is near the concentration of minimum total vapor pressure, ie, the sum of SO, H2O, and H2SO4 partial pressures. At acid concentrations much below 98.5% H2SO4, relatively intractable aerosols of sulfuric acid mist particles are formed by vapor-phase reaction of SO and H2O. At much higher acid concentrations, the partial pressure of SO becomes significant. 

Deposition. The products of the various chemical and physical reactions in the atmosphere are eventually returned to the earth s surface. Usually, a useful distinction is made here between wet and dry deposition. Wet deposition, ie, rainout and washout, includes the flux of all those components that are carried to the earth s surface by rain or snow, that is, those dissolved and particulate substances contained in rain or snow. Dry deposition is the flux of particles and gases, especially SO2, FINO, and NFl, to the receptor surface during the absence of rain or snow. Deposition can also occur through fog, aerosols and droplets which can be deposited on trees, plants, or the ground. With forests, approximately half of the deposition of SO(, NH+,andH+ occurs as dry deposition. 

Aerosol Dynamics. Inclusion of a description of aerosol dynamics within air quaUty models is of primary importance because of the health effects associated with fine particles in the atmosphere, visibiUty deterioration, and the acid deposition problem. Aerosol dynamics differ markedly from gaseous pollutant dynamics in that particles come in a continuous distribution of sizes and can coagulate, evaporate, grow in size by condensation, be formed by nucleation, or be deposited by sedimentation. Furthermore, the species mass concentration alone does not fliUy characterize the aerosol. The particle size distribution, which changes as a function of time, and size-dependent composition determine the fate of particulate air pollutants and their... 

For determination of the aerodynamic diameters of particles, the most commonly apphcable methods for particle-size analysis are those based on inertia aerosol centrifuges, cyclones, and inertial impactors (Lundgren et al.. Aerosol Measurement, University of Florida, Gainesville, 1979 and Liu, Fine Paiiicles—Aerosol Generation, Measurement, Sampling, and Analysis, Academic, New York, 1976). Impactors are the most commonly used. Nevertheless, impactor measurements are subject to numerous errors [Rao and Whitby, Am. Ind. Hyg. A.s.soc.]., 38, 174 (1977) Marple and WiUeke, "Inertial Impactors, in Lundgren et al.. Aerosol Measurement and Fuchs, "Aerosol Impactors, in Shaw, Fundamentals of Aerosol Sci-... 

Bouncing may be regarded as a defect in the particle-deposition process. However, particles that have been deposited in filters may subsequently be blown off and reentrained into the air stream (Corn, Adhesion of Particles, in Davies, Aerosol Science, Academic, New York, 1966 and Davies, op. cit.). 

Suspended particles are the most important factor in visibility reduction. In most instances, the visual quality of air is controlled by partide scattering and is characterized by the extinction coeffident The size of particles plays a crucial role in their interaction with light. Other factors are the refractive index and shape of the particles, although their effect is harder to measure and is less well understood. If we could establish these properties, we could calculate the amount of light scattering and absorption. Alternatively, the extinction coeffident associated with an aerosol can be measured directly. 

The secondary source of fine particles in the atmosphere is gas-to-particle conversion processes, considered to be the more important source of particles contributing to atmospheric haze. In gas-to-particle conversion, gaseous molecules become transformed to liquid or solid particles. This phase transformation can occur by three processes absortion, nucleation, and condensation. Absorption is the process by which a gas goes into solution in a liquid phase. Absorption of a specific gas is dependent on the solubility of the gas in a particular liquid, e.g., SO2 in liquid H2O droplets. Nucleation and condensation are terms associated with aerosol dynamics. 

Particles in the atmosphere come from different sources, e.g., combustion, windblown dust, and gas-to-particle conversion processes (see Chapter 6). Figure 2-2 illustrates the wide range of particle diameters potentially present in the ambient atmosphere. A typical size distribution of ambient particles is shown in Fig. 2-3. The distribution of number, surface, and mass can occur over different diameters for the same aerosol. Variation in chemical composition as a function of particle diameter has also been observed, as shown in Table 4-3. 

Another advantage is that wet ESPs can collect sticky particles and mists, as well as highly resistive or explosive dusts. The continuous or intermittent washing with a liquid eliminates the reentrainment of particles due to rapping which dry ESPs are subject to. The humid atmosphere that results from the washing in a wet ESP enables them to collect high resistivity particles, absorb gases or cause pollutants to condense, and cools and conditions the gas stream. Liquid particles or aerosols... 

Haze (Hazy) an atmospheric aerosol of sufficient concentration to be visible. The particles are so small that they cannot be seen individually, but are still effective attenuating light and reducing visual range. 

Scheuch, G., and Stahlhofen, W. (1992). Deposition and dispersion of aerosols in the airways of the human respiratory tract the effect of particle size. Exper. Lung Res. 18, 343-358. 

As a simple and efficient particle separation device, cyclone collectors can be used for anything from dust removal in a fluid stream to material collection in the fluid conveying system. However, the cyclone is not suitable or economical for the separation of extremely small particles (say, less than 1 /xm), which frequently occur in industrial processes. It is recommended that the size of particles to be separated in an industrial ventilation cyclone be in the region of around 10 to 100 p.m. However, for the purpose of aerosol sampling, the size of particles to be separated may be much less than 10 jxm. 

The electrostatic force is directly proportional to the net charge of an aerosol particle. Therefore, effective charging of the particles is of great importance. Airborne particles are normally charged either due to their birth processes or due to charge transfer from gas ions to particles. The natural charging of particles is normally so weak that it has no practical importance for electrostatic air cleaning. 

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