Abstract
Inhalation of DPM has been reported to shorten the life of 70,000 Americans each year and to increase the risk of developing brain tumors in children. Environmental radon progeny (ERnP) have been measured in human brain tissues, but how they entered the brain remains uncertain. We hypothesize ERnP may be incorporated in DPM during combustion and enter the body through inhalation. Therefore, we captured DPM on 30 nm filters. The DPM, containing polonium‐210 (Po‐210) came from a variety of diesel engines operating in normal outdoor atmospheres with radon concentrations from 7 to 33 Bq/m3. Initially, the Po‐210 alpha emissions were measured directly from the nanofilters. However, the activity dropped dramatically, presumably due to the volatility of the DPM particles. Therefore, immediately after loading the nanofilters were soaked for approximately 12 hours in nitric acid. Po‐210 from this solution was deposited onto silver disks and counted. The observed Po‐210 activities were dependent upon the type of diesel engine and the atmospheric ERn concentration. The work was sponsored in part by the USDA ARS GFHNRC.
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