Fiber Transport and Deposition in Human Upper Tracheobronchial Airways

Abstract

Transport and deposition of inhaled asbestos fibers has been studied in the past few decades due to its pathological response in living being. Of the earlier study, in vitro and vivo experiments in human and animal subjects were conducted and measurements were made where carcinogenicity of these particles was investigated. In this work, the transport and deposition of elongated ellipsoidal fibers were numerically simulated in a physiological realistic multi-level lung model. Detailed motion of the inhaled fibers and their interaction with the surrounding environment were reproduced by solving the system of coupled nonlinear equations governing the fibers’ translational and rotational motion. This information has never been revealed in past studies. Correlations between the deposition pattern, fiber characteristics, breathing conditions, and airway morphology in human upper tracheobronchial airways were analyzed. The results were compared with experimental measurements, and carcinogenicity of these fibers was discussed.