INFLUENCE OF INHALED MANGANESE OXIDES NANOPARTICLES ON MASS OF INTERNAL ORGANS IN MICE

Results of the statistical analysis of a long-term inhalation experiment on laboratory mice are presented. During 17 weeks of the experiment, the experimental group was exposed to inhaled manganese oxides nanoparticles. Manganese oxides (MnO center dot Mn2O3) nanoparticles (MnONPs) were synthesized continuously via aerosol route in a hot wall tube flow reactor using a thermal decomposition of metal organic precursor manganese(II) acetylacetonate in the flow tube reactor (in vertical position) at temperature 750 degrees C in the presence of 30 vol% of oxygen. The concentration of produced MnONPs at the reactor output was in the range 1-3 x 10(7) particles/cm(3) and the size of generated nanoparticles MnO center dot Mn2O3 was in the range 7-50 nm. Before entering the inhalation chamber, MnONPs in the mixture of N-2, O-2 and air (at total flow rate of 3 L/min) were further diluted using filtrated humidified air (20 L/min) at temperature 21 degrees C resulting in the MnONPs concentration 2 x 10(6) particles/cm(3). At regular time intervals the mass of selected internal organs of mice from both experimental and control group was assessed. It has been proven that inhaled nanoparticles are able to influence the mass of internal organs of mice. Statistically significantly lower mass of kidneys, liver and spleen and higher mass of pancreas have been found in the experimental group compared to the control group.