On solid particles in the respiratory system of occupationally exposed workers

Abstract

The diploma thesis is dealing with the presence and character of solid particles in exhaled breath condensate of workers occupationally exposed to titanium based nanomaterials. The theoretical background explores a current literature on translocation of nanomaterials in the respiratory system, their potential health risks and potential occupational exposure of workers to suspended nanomaterials. The samples were analyzed using the selected techniques: Raman microspectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy, ultravioletvisible spectrophotometry, atomic force microscopy, and dynamic light scattering. The presence of titanium was observed in the majority of the samples. The most promising techniques to study the exhaled breath condensate samples are Raman spectroscopy, due to its ability to distinguish between single crystalline phases of titanium dioxide, and scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, which is able to reveal morphology of solid particles and their elemental composition.