ELEMENTAL DISTRIBUTION IN THE HUMAN RESPIRATORY SYSTEM AND EXCRETION ORGANS - ABSORPTION AND ACCUMULATION

In order to initiate a reference data base for the respiratory system and to understand the effects of airborne substances on human health, different sites of the respiratory ducts and respiratory tissue were a nalysed. Excretion organs related to the removal of inhaled constituen ts were also assessed in order to infer excretion rates of the chemica l species found in the respiratory system. PIXE was applied to the det ermination of minor and trace elemental contents of trachea, bronchi, lung, liver and kidney samples. Two groups of elements were establishe d: the constitutive elements, known to be essential to cellular metabo lism (It, Ca, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Se, Rb and Sr), and the accumulated elem ents of exogenous origin (Ti, V, Cr, Ni, Zr and Pb). The different pat terns of elemental accumulation at excretion organs and in the respira tory system suggest differences in the aerodynamic properties and in t he chemical affinities or reactivity of inhaled particulate matter wit h cells. (C) 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.