Estimation of the Seasonal Inhaled Deposited Dose of Particulate Matter in the Respiratory System of Urban Individuals Living in an Eastern Mediterranean City

In this study, we present an estimation for the inhaled deposited dose rate in adult males and females during common exposure scenarios to urban background aerosols in an Eastern Mediterranean city (Amman, Jordan) based on a one-year database of measured particle number size distribution. The dose rates show seasonal variations reflecting the physical characteristics (i.e., modal structure) of the particle number size distribution. An additional factor was the varying deposition fraction (DF) for different regions and different human activities (exercising versus resting). The total dose rate was 3 × 10(9)–65 × 10(9) particles/h (PM(2.5) and PM(10) doses 1–22 µg/h and 9–210 µg/h; respectively) depending on the gender, activity, and season. Based on the particle number metrics, the inhaled deposited dose in the head, Tracheobronchial, and alveolar were 7–16%, 16–28%, and 56–76%; respectively. Based on the PM(2.5) metric, the corresponding dose rate was 9–41%,13–19%; and 46–72% respectively. As for the PM(10) metric, they were 25–75%, 7–35%, and 15–55%; respectively.