Particulate Matter Inhalation Exposure Chambers and Parameters Affecting Their Performance: A Systematic Review Study

Exposure to inhalation aerosols and particulate matter (PM) in different concentrations can increase the risk of respiratory, cardiovascular, and other related diseases. The inhalation exposure studies are implemented to assess the biological effects of these hazardous agents in human or animal models, in whole-body (WB) or nose/head-only conditions. Several factors can affect the performance of the inhalation exposure chambers and if left uncontrolled, the results may not be desirable. The current study reviewed the characteristics, structures, and factors affecting the performance of the WB chambers, especially the ones designed for small animal exposure to the PM. At the primary stage, the criteria and the search strategy were determined and the keywords were searched in the scientific electronic databases. Totally, 1051 articles were extracted in the first stage, and finally seven articles were adopted. The technical and design details, materials, coefficient variations (CVs) of concentration, assessment methods, type and number of laboratory animals, procedure, and animals housing conditions were extracted from the selected articles. Then the most desirable WB inhalation exposure chamber was determined based on the criteria for assessing the presented exposure chambers such as the animal housing and least CVs of the concentration in the respiratory zones of the animals under study. It was concluded that the Kimmel design was the best and the most desirable chamber structurally and geometrically, since the concentration of the particle (NaCl) injected into the chamber varied from 3.5% to 5.2%, under standard conditions.