Influence of particle size and chemical composition on efficiency of clearance mechanisms: electron microscopy studies on humans.

This article compares the presence of solid particles in lung parenchyma samples collected from accident victims and in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid taken from patients diagnosed with pulmonary carcinoma. Analysis by electron microscopy showed differences in particle size between the two groups, which could be attributable both to differences in original particle size and to their solubility in the biological environment.