ABSTRACT
This chapter presents the toxicity of inhalable metals systemically. The toxicity of a metal depends on its inherent capacity to adversely affect biological activity. In inhalation toxicity, the size of the particulate matter is a most important feature. Reactivity and surface area increase tremendously as particle size decreases. If the particle size becomes very small, the aerosol is readily exhaled, and absorption depends on the water solubility of gases and fine particulates. The deposition, retention, and distribution pattern of inhaled metal particles and vapors are influenced by many anatomic features of the respiratory tract, including, for example, lung volume, alveolar surface area, and spatial relationships of conducting airways as well as particle shape, size, and solubility. In the industrial environment, human exposures to metals in vapor form may occur, for example, exposure to mercury vapor in chlor-alkali plants or in mercury mines, and to nickel carbonyl in some nickel refineries.
