Composition, size distribution and lung deposition distribution of aerosols collected in the atmosphere of a speleotherapeutic cave situated below Budapest, Hungary

Abstract

Elemental composition and mass size distribution of cave aerosols were determined by PIXE on seven-stage cascade impactor samples collected in two different sites of the Szemlohegy-cave, a speleotherapeutic cave situated below Budapest, Hungary. In addition, individual particle analysis was also performed on about 450 aerosol particles. Significant differences were found between the two sampling sites and also in comparison with the external air in both the size distribution and in the composition of the aerosol. On the basis of the obtained data a stochastic lung deposition model was used to calculate total and regional deposition efficiencies of the different types of particles along the human respiratory system. One can conclude that the extrathoracic deposition is quite significant and its role increasing with increasing respiratory minute volume. The regional thoracic deposition is not very sensitive to the size distribution and it has a maximum around the 15-20th airway generations. © 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.