Design, construction, and evaluation of an inhalation system for exposing experimental animals to environmental tobacco smoke.

An inhalation system was designed to expose experimental animals to aged and diluted sidestream smoke (ADSS), used as a surrogate for environmental tobacco smoke (ETS). The construction of the smoke generator and of the smoke dilution systems is described. Target ADSS concentrations in a 90-day inhalation study were 0.1, 1, and 10 mg/m3 of respirable suspended particulates (RSP). Data is presented on the physical and chemical composition of the smoke presented to animals at or near these target RSP concentrations. The design of the inhalation laboratory was shown to result in highly reproducible respirable aerosols that were effective surrogates of ETS.