Generation of complex aerosols

Airborne particulates may have acute and/or long-term adverse effects on human health. In order to study the underlying mechanisms and to set up guidelines for policy markers there is a need for aerosol inhalation studies. Since many of the epidemiologically relevant aerosols originate from complex natural and /or technological processes, and the exposure aerosols have to mimic them as closely as possible, it can not be expected either that the aerosol is simple itself in terms of, e.g., chemical composition, physical stability, and biological activity or that the aerosol generation and handling procedures are straightforward. The purpose of this chapter is therefore to outline the most important processes leading to suitable aerosols for inhalation toxicology experiments.