Aerosol-induced lung injuries observed by synchrotron radiation X-ray phase-contrast imaging technique

Adverse health effects are associated with the inhalation of a variety of atmospheric particles. To study the lung injuries caused by aerosol PM2.5, synchrotron radiation (SR) X-ray phase-contrast imaging technique was used. Nude mice were inoculated with PM2.5 samples collected from suburban area (JD), industrial area (BS) and traffic tunnel (DPQ) of Shanghai. From X-ray phase-contrast images of lung tissues, apart from blood vessels and structures of alveoli, even hemorrhage spots of several microns caused by the inflammation were clearly observed. The studies showed that the PM2.5 samples collected from the traffic tunnel (DPQ) produced higher level of lung injury, followed by the aerosol samples collected from industrial area (BS) and suburban area (JD). Our studies also helped us to understand the process of lung injuries caused by aerosol particles.