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Languages : en
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Book Description
Ambient aerosols frequently contain large proportions of hygroscopic inorganic salts such as sulfates and nitrates, which may induce adverse health effects upon inhalation. The inhaled salt particles are invariably exposed to a humid environment; their deposition along the respiratory tract will necessarily depend upon the size change resulting from water vapor condensation. This paper discusses the deliquescent properties of pure and mixed salt aerosols and the particle size change as a function of relative humidity. Experimental results are presented for the growth of mixed chlorides (NaCl-KCl), mixed sulfates (H2SO4-(NH4)2SO4), and mixed (NH4)2SOsub 4}-NH4NO3 aerosol systems. It is shown that the behavior of the mixed salt aerosols in a moist atmosphere can be predicted from phase diagrams and pertinent thermodynamic properties of the bulk solutions. The evaporation of a saline droplet in an atmosphere of decreasing humidities is also investigated experimentally. For each deliquescent salt aerosol, there is a threshold humidity below which the solution droplets will quickly evaporate to become crystalline particles. The information is useful in the selection of a suitable humidification procedure to generate test aerosols for exposure studies.
