Mucociliary clearance from the calf lung.

Mucociliary clearance rate constants for ten calves were obtained using Technetium 99m-sulphur colloid complex. The mean rate constant measured at the lung for all calves was 0.012 (+/- 0.009) min-1 (half-life 58 minutes). The clearance rate constants obtained from measurements made at the larynx were higher (0.02 +/- 0.007 min-1), although not significantly higher, than those determined from measurements taken at the lung. The constants can be used to predict the particle burden on the lungs of calves kept under husbandry systems of varying air hygiene.