ABSTRACT
Control of the workplace atmosphere is the objective of the majority of industrial hygiene studies and government regulations. This chapter presents more detail on lung structure and function and describes interaction of the lung with specific atmospheric contaminants. The first segment of the respiratory system is the nasal cavity, which is lined with a moist mucus layer. Entry into the lungs normally is by way of the nose and nasal cavity. The larger bronchial tubes have cartilaginous structures in their walls to prevent collapse of the tubes without causing them to be rigid. Asbestosis, lung disease caused by inhalation of asbestos fibers, is perhaps the most publicized of the lung fibrosis diseases. Silicosis may result from the inhalation of any uncombined form of silicon dioxide. The importance of volatility in industrial toxicology can be demonstrated very clearly by considering again the Bhopal tragedy in India.
