I strongly endorse (albeit, belatedly) Bill Whyte's letter appearing in the August 1999 issue of CleanRooms, page 6.

The word “particulates” should be relegated to the written and spoken trash-heap by professionals in our field. Some of us have used that term instead of the correct “particles” as a way of sounding erudite and authoritative. However, our words often get out to the general public, in one way or another.

While the public understands “particle,” it is probably confused by “particulate.” The last thing we need is to confuse through our words, inadvertently, a public already suspicious of health and science practitioners.

John J. Coupal, Ph.D., BCNP
Nuclear Pharmacist
Veterans Affairs Medical Center
Lexington, KY