National Institute for Physics of Matter Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia Bioengineering approach to the Balkan Syndrome Dr.Antonietta M. Gatti World Uranium Weapons Conference Hamburg October 16-19, 2003

Passage of micro and nanodebris through the lung barrier

Passage of the ingested micro and nanodebris through the bowel barrier

Micro and nanoparticles travel in the blood

The Limph nodes can segregate the debris from the blood circulation

bladder Debris not entrapped by liver and kidney can deposit in the bladder

A.M. Gatti, F. Rivasi “ Biocompatibility of micro- and nanoparticles in liver and kidney: Part I ” Biomaterials June 2002, vol 23, issue 11, A.M. Gatti “Biocompatibility of micro- and nano-particles in the colon: Part II “ accepted by Biomaterials, June in press A.Nemmar, B.Nemery et al. “Passage of inhaled particles into blood circulation in humans” Circulation 2002, 105(4),