Deposition of Inhaled Wood Dust in the Nasal Cavity

Abstract

Detailed deposition patterns of inhaled wood dust in an anatomically accurate nasal cavity were investigated using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) techniques. Three wood dusts, pine dust, heavy oak dust, and light oak dust, with a particle size distribution generated by machining (), were simulated at an inhalation flow rate of 10 L/min. It was found that the major particle deposition sites were the nasal valve region and anterior section of the middle turbinate. Wood dust depositing in these regions is physiologically removed much more slowly than in other regions. This leads to the surrounding layer of soft tissues being damaged by the deposited particles during continuous exposure to wood dust. Additionally, it was found that pine dust had a higher deposition efficiency in the nasal cavity than the two oak dusts, due to the fact that it comprises a higher proportion of larger sized particles. Therefore, this indicates that dusts with a large amount of fine particles, such as those generated by sanding, may penetrate the nasal cavity and travel further into the lung.