Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 30, 2026

Development of a Nose-only Inhalation Toxicity Test Chamber That Provides Four Exposure Concentrations of Nano-sized Particles
Published on: March 18, 2019
Toxicology of nasal irritants
1Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Upper Airway Biology Laboratory, University of California, San Francisco, 1301 S. 46th Street, Bldg. 112, Richmond, CA 94804, USA. dennis@itsa.ucsf.edu
Abstract:
The upper airway, including nasal cavities, naso-, oro-, and hypopharynx, is the portal of entry for air pollutants. Upper airway (as well as eye) irritation figures prominently in symptom reporting in so-called problem buildings and with exposure to environmental tobacco smoke. Large particles and water-soluble gases and vapors are likely to have their initial irritant effects in the mucous membranes of the upper airway and eyes, giving warning to the exposed individual to minimize further exposure. The spectrum of irritant-related upper airway health effects is reviewed in this article.
Related Concept Videos
Types of Toxins
Air pollutants, primarily gases, pose significant threats to respiratory health, leading to conditions like hypoxia, lung cancer, and in extreme cases, death.
Environmental pollutants like...
Toxic Reactions: Overview
Toxicity falls into two primary categories: local and systemic.
Local toxicity appears at the exposure site, such as protein denaturation caused by caustic substances.
In contrast, systemic toxicity requires the toxic agent's absorption and distribution,...
Local Anesthetics: Adverse Effects
Once absorbed into the systemic circulation, local anesthetics can affect the organs that depend on the functioning of sodium...
Drugs Used in Upper Respiratory Disorders: Overview
Antihistamines (e.g., Benadryl) block histamines from binding. Histamines are chemicals released during an allergic reaction in the body. As a...
Drug Toxicity: Dose-Dependent Reactions
Toxidromes: Clinical Features

