Fig. 4
Size dependent regional deposition of inhaled nanoparticles and their interaction with resident lung microbiome. The diameter of the airway is indicated, as are the deposition sites of various inhaled nanoparticles of differing size (PM10 PM2.5 and PM1) which locate to specific regions of the respiratory tract. Regional variation in the microbiome is also illustrated across different regions of the airway. A proportional representation of the top five abundant bacterial taxa at each site is indicated. Decreasing species richness is observed in the lower airway