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Nasal contribution to breathing and fine particle deposition in children versus adults

William D Bennett1, Kirby L Zeman, Annie M Jarabek

  • 1Center for Environmental Medicine, Asthma, and Lung Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA. William_Bennett@med.unc.edu

Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health. Part A
|December 22, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Children

Area of Science:

  • Environmental Health
  • Pediatric Respiratory Health
  • Human Physiology

Background:

  • Breathing route (nasal vs. oral) and nasal particle filtration efficiency can differ between children and adults.
  • Understanding these differences is crucial for assessing respiratory health risks in children.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare nasal breathing contribution at rest and during exercise in children (6-10 yr) versus young adults.
  • To compare nasal deposition efficiency (NDE) of fine particles (1 and 2 µm MMAD) in children and adults under resting and exercise conditions.

Main Methods:

  • Respiratory inductance plethysmography and nasal mask with flow meter to assess breathing patterns.
  • Inhalation of monodisperse carnauba wax particles with laser photometry to determine particle deposition.
  • Incremental exercise testing on a bicycle ergometer.

Main Results:

  • A trend for reduced nasal breathing contribution in children, though not statistically significant.
  • Significantly decreased nasal deposition efficiency (NDE) for 2-µm particles in children during light exercise compared to adults.
  • Children exhibited less efficient nasal filtering for larger particles at higher airflow.

Conclusions:

  • Children's nasal passages may be less effective at filtering larger inhaled particles during exercise.
  • Children's lungs might face higher exposure to inhaled ambient particles compared to adults.
  • Further research into pediatric respiratory particle exposure is warranted.

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