The Inhalation Exposure Resource (IER) offers access to inhalation toxicology expertise and a shared facility currently dedicated to rodent Inhalation exposure studies.
Inhalation is the major route of entry for airborne chemicals and toxicants. Exposure through inhalation is thus an essential experimental component for studies on the health impacts of airborne toxicants. An inhalation exposure facility is equipped to generate environmentally relevant test articles, enable exposures at desired levels, and ensure scientific rigor through various quality control procedures.
Comprehensive training or experience is required to properly design an inhalation exposure study and to utilize the various specialized instrument in an inhalation exposure facility. The IER exists to facilitate access to the inhalation exposure facility, and enable novice users to obtain necessary training and establish collaborations with experienced researchers.
Services
 Teague TE-10B cigarette Smoke Exposure System (whole-body exposure)  CH Technology Oro-Nasal Aerosol Respiratory Exposure System |
The IER provides consultation on research design of inhalation exposure projects, helps with identification of collaborators, training of approved users on equipment use, and management of project schedule and user cost-share of consumable supplies and equipment maintenance/repair. Please contact Dr. Weiguo Han at whan@email.arizona.edu for initial project consultation.
The facility (located in Skaggs Pharmacy 244, map) has two walk-in fume hoods that currently house a Teague TE-10B smoke generator for tobacco smoke generation, a CH Technology vapor generator for volatile organics, and various whole-body and nose-only exposure chambers and associated monitoring devices. The facility also has an attached procedure room for necropsy and other animal procedures.
Additional resources available include dust particle generation and exposure; FlexiVent lung function analysis; generation of tobacco smoke extracts; and exposure of cells to tobacco smoke.
Leadership
Dr. Ding has studied respiratory and inhalation toxicology for over 20 years. His group has been studying tobacco smoke exposure induced toxicity and tumorigenesis and naphthalene induced lung injury, in projects funded by NCI and NIEHS.
Dr. Han has been conducting rodent lung injury and inhalation exposure studies for three years.
You can contact the IER at the information provided on the left of this page.