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1. Taking a Look at Airborne Particulate
Matter: Inhalable, Thoracic, and
Respirable Fractions
Particle pollution referstothe combination of tiny solidandliquidparticlesinthe air. Itcan be
dangerous toinhale because particle pollution maytriggerasthma, hospitalization, andpremature
death.
Particulate matterisone of the major air pollutantssince itiscomposed of inhalableparticles that
penetrate the thoracicregionof the respiratory system, leadingtoextremely adverse healtheffects.
Breathable, thoracic, andrespirable particulate mattersare airpollutants thatact as major airquality
stressors.
What are the sources ofairborne particulate matter?
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Evenif you can’t see it, there are manyair pollutants inthe airyou inhale. Particulate mattercanform
throughprimary sources as well assecondary sources.

2. Primary PMSources:derived frombothhumanandnatural activities
Human (anthropogenic) activities such as agricultural operations, industrial processes,combustion of
wood and fossil fuels, and construction and demolition
Natural (biogenic) activities include windblown dust and wildfires
SecondaryPMSources:air contaminantsources formed inthe atmospherebythe transformation of gas
emissions thatformorhelpformPM
SOx (sulfur oxides), NOx (nitrogen oxides), VOCs (volatile organic compounds), ammonia
Tobacco smoke, wood dust, gasstoves, cleaningproducts, pets, mold, andrespirable crystallinesilica(a
natural substance foundinthe earth, bricks, andconcrete leadingtofine airborne dust) all contributeto
airborne particulate matteraswell.
What are the effects ofparticle pollution exposure?
Research hasalso linkedexposuretoparticle pollution to:
difficulty breathing and increased allergy symptoms
increased mortality in infants and early deaths
increased risk of cardiovascular disease, including heart attacks,strokes, and ischemic heart disease
increased development and the severity of asthma among children
worsening of COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) in adults
slowed lung function growth in children and teenagers
cause cancer harm,nervous system harm (reduced brain volume, cognitive effects),and respiratory harm
(e.g.,worsened asthma, worsened COPD,inflammation)
Inhalable, Thoracic, and Respirable Fractions:
The word, “aerosol,”isusedtodescribe the suspension of particlesinthe air.The behavior, deposition,
and effects of particles intothe humanrespiratory systemare determined bythe chemical nature and
size of the particle. Aerosol size fractions thatrelate tothe regionof the respiratory tract where they
penetrate anddepositcanbe defined bythree fractions:
Inhalable fraction: airborne particles that enter the nose and mouth during breathing and therefore can
deposit anywhere in the respiratory tract
Thoracic fraction: inhaled airborne particles that penetrate beyond the larynx
- It has beenshown thatapproximately 50% of the particles inthe air withan
aerodynamicdiameterof 10 microns belongtothe thoracicfraction

3. - Thoracic sizedparticles cancome fromnatural sources like volcanoes anddust
stormsto man-made sources like powerplants, industrial processes, vehicular
traffic, coal burning, andfireplaces
Respirable fraction: inhaled airborne particles that penetrate to the lower gas exchange region (nonciliated
airways) of the lung
- It has beenshown that50% of the particles withanaerodynamicdiameterof 4
micronswill be inthe respirable fraction
Examples ofparticles in certain size groups
For size reference, humanhairis50-180 microns in size anda grain of salt is60 microns in size. The limit
of whatthe nakedeye can see is10-40 micron-sizedparticles. Particles under10 microns insize fall
underthe respirable fraction:
2.5-10 microns:pollen, desertdust, moldspores, petdander(coarse particles)
Impactsthe upperrespiratorytract
Mold sporesrange from1-30 micronsin size
Petdanderrange from 5-10 micronsinsize
Dust particlesrange from2.5-10 micronsinsize
<2.5 microns:bacteria, fungi, moldspores, pollen(fineparticles)
Impact the lowerrespiratorytract
Bacteriumrange from1-3 micronsinsize
<1 micron:viruses, exhaustgases, wildfire smoke, lightdustparticles
(inhalableparticles)
Impactsthe alveoli
Lightdust particlesrange from0.5-1 micron insize
Wildfire smoke canpersistinthe airfordays to monthsandrange from0.4-0.7 microninsize
<0.1 micron:nanoparticles (ultrafineparticles)
Impactsthe bloodstream/wholebody
Tobacco smoke particlesrange from0.1-4 micronsin size

4. The coronavirusis0.1-0.5 micronin size
Otherviruseslike the zikavirusrange from0.005-0.3 microns
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mold, air quality testing, mold test & environmental testing.