Measurements of growth due to condensation for some common aerosols

Abstract Soluble aerosol particles are capable of growing due to condensation in atmospheres of high humidity. The droplet sizes of some common aerosols exhaled from the lungs of human volunteers have been measured using impactors. The experiment found sodium chloride particles grew by a factor of 4.5, mainstream cigarette smoke particles by a factor of 1.7, and urban fine particulate by a factor of 1.9. The change in size of such aerosols may have an effect in determining where the particle deposits in the respiratory system when inhaled.