ABSTRACT
Potential exposure to toxic materials is greater via inhalation than any other route. This potential is due to the large lung surface area available for gas transport (∼90 m2 in an adult human) and the relative ease of passage from alveolus to blood for most substances. Some inhalation exposures may be intentional, as with inhaled drugs. However, many exposures are unintentional via environmental pollutants in the industrial setting or ambient air. Inhalation toxicity studies determine the health effects of these materials through exposure to animals, which then allows for human risk assessment. Inhalation studies involve all the
standard types of toxicity studies and their various end points including acute, subchronic, chronic, oncogenicity, reproductive, developmental, neurotoxicity, as well as safety pharmacology and in vitro exposures. The following tables and graphs are a compilation that has proved to be useful in the conduct of inhalation studies and the extrapolation of effects among different species. The compilation includes data on respiratory tract anatomy, pulmonary function, bronchoalveolar lavage, metabolism, pulmonary deposition and clearance, pulmonary toxicity, and data associated with exposure chambers and the generation and monitoring of exposure atmospheres.
