ABSTRACT
The effects of nanoparticles (NPs) on lung tissues, regardless of whether or not they are benecial or detrimental, are likely to be amplied in the developing lungs. For instance, it is well known that children are at higher risk of exposure when subjected to particulate air pollution than the adult population. An increasing number of epidemiological studies also indicate that environmental air pollutants (e.g., tobacco smoke, nitrogen dioxide, acid vapor, ozone, particles) impair the developing pulmonary system of children (e.g., Heinrich et al. 2002; Finkelstein and Johnston 2004; Rauh et al. 2004; Schwartz 2004; Perera et al. 2005; Wang and Pinkerton 2007). Both prenatal and postnatal exposures can be associated with negative pulmonary health outcomes. Smoking during pregnancy, for example, may increase the susceptibility of infants to the development of a number of pediatric lung disorders, including bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) (Schuller et al. 2000; Ueda et al. 2006; Cao et al. 2009). In particular, the epidemiological data strongly suggest the adverse health effects of particulate air pollution on lung growth and function in children (e.g., Bates 1995; Pope 2000; Gauderman et al. 2000, 2002, 2004; Gilliland et al. 2000; Avol et al. 2001; Horak et al. 2002; Mathieu-Nolf 2002; Kim 2004; Sram et al. 2005). Similarly, the health effects in the developing lungs associated with therapeutic drug delivery may also be amplied. Here, we rst review the normal process of postnatal lung development, followed by a description of particle exposure and biological responses.
