Archives of environmental health
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Arch. Environ. Health · Sep 1997
Mineral particles in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF): an attempt at designing a quantitative model.
The author examined by morphology, chemical composition, and crystalline structure, approximately 2 500 mineral particles from bronchoalveolar lavage fluids obtained from 25 residents of Rome. In addition, the author obtained the same structural data for approximately 3000 inhalable particles present in the atmosphere in Rome. ⋯ Finally, the author compared the model with the particulate pattern observed in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid samples. Despite some drastic approximations, the model satisfactorily fits the data obtained from the experimental research on mineral particulate in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid.