Health Effects of Fine Powders

Chapter 14
Deposition of Particles Mechanism
• Sedimentation (for particles less than 40 microns)
• Particles settle at terminal velocity (under Stokes' Law)

• Inertial impaction
• Whether the airborne particles follow the path taken by the air at each turn
depends on the balance between the force required to cause the particle to
change direction and the fluid drag available to provide that force. If the drag
force is sufficient to cause the required change in direction, the particle will
follow the gas and will not be deposited.
• Ratio of required force to the FR to the available force FD - Stokes' Number
Deposition of Particles Mechanism
• Diffusion
• Brownian motion

• Interception
• deposition of particle due to its size and shape compared with the size of the
airway

• Electrostatic Precipitation
• It has been speculated that charged particle could induce opposite charges
on the walls of some airways, resulting in the particles being attracted to the
walls and deposited
Sedimentation
Diffusion
Inertial Impaction
In summary, inertial impaction is responsible for the
deposition of the larger airborne particles and this occurs
mainly in the upper airways. In practice, therefore, we find
that only those particles smaller than about 10 mm will travel
beyond the main bronchi. Such particles have a decreasing
propensity to be deposited by inertial impaction the further
they travel into the lungs, but are more likely to be deposited
by the action of sedimentation and diffusion as they reach the
smaller airways and the alveolar region, where air velocities
are low, airway dimensions are small and air residence times
are relatively high.
Pulmonary Delivery of Drugs
Nebulizer
• Metered-dose inhaler
• Dry powder inhaler

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Harmful Effects of Fine Powders
When dealing with any hazard, there is a hierarchy of control
measures that may be put in place.

Specification:
Devising an alternative process which does not include this hazard. In
the case of dust hazard, this may mean using a completely different
wet process. For example, using wet milling rather than dry milling.
Granulation may be an option

Substitution:
Replacing the hazardous material with a non-hazardous material, for
example; by using wood fibres instead of asbestos in the manufacture
of building products.
Containment:
Designing the process using equipment which ensures that hazardous
materials are contained and do not, under normal operation, escape
into the environment. EX: using pneumatic transport rather than
conveyors belts or other mechanical conveyors in transporting powders
within the workplace. Also, use fully enclosed conveyor belts.
Ventilation:
Accepting that the hazardous material is present in the workplace
environment and creating airflows to draw the material away from
workers or reduce its concentration in the environment. Reduced time
of exposure: reducing the time spent by each worker in that
environment.
Protective equipment:
Providing suitable protective equipment for the worker to wear.
Examples for controlling dust hazard:
air-line helmets – clean air is provided under pressure via flexible
tubing to a full headset worn my the worker;
positive pressure sets – a pump and filter worn by the worker provides
air to a headset which may partially or fully enclose the worker’s head;
airstream helmets – a pump and filter fitted to a hard hat with a visor
such that the filtered air stream is blown across the worker’s face;
ori-nasal respirators – a well-fitting rubber or plastic mask covering the
nose and mouth and fitted with efficient filters suitable for the material
in question;
disposable facemasks – mask made of filter material covering the nose
and mouth and usually not well-fitting.