Reduced lung cell proliferation following short-term exposure to ultrafine soot and iron particles in neonatal rats: key to impaired lung growth?

Particulate matter (PM) has been associated with a variety of negative health outcomes in children involving the respiratory system and early development. However, the precise mechanisms to explain how exposure to airborne particles may cause adverse effects in children are unknown. To study their influence on early postnatal development, a simple, laminar diffusion flame was used to generate an aerosol of soot and iron particles in the size range of 10 to 50 nm.