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Bioaerosol

About: Bioaerosol is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 1347 publications have been published within this topic receiving 34791 citations.


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TL;DR: Workers engaged in the biomass combustion technology are exposed to bioaerosol containing potentially pathogenic bacteria and fungi at a power plant co-firing biomass with coal.
Abstract: Background Despite numerous benefits related to the utilization of biomass as an alternative source of energy, the handling of biomass creates a risk for the power industry workers of exposure to harmful microbiological agents. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the exposure of the workers to such agents at a power plant co-firing biomass with coal. This assessment was based on quantitative and qualitative characteristics of bioaerosols, supplemented with the analysis of biomass samples. Material and methods Air samples were collected with both MAS and Andersen six-stage impactors. Two different kinds of biomass samples used in the co-firing technological process were collected: sunflower seed peel pellet and wood chips. Bacterial and fungal concentrations were assessed in the air and biomass samples, and isolated microbial colonies were identified to the genus and/or species level. Results Bacterial and fungal concentrations at workplaces ranged between 5.1 x 10(2) cfu/m3 and 2.0 x 10(4) cfu/m3, and between 2.2 x 10(2) cfu/m3 and 2.3 x 10(4) cfu/m3, respectively. The highest concentrations were determined at workplaces related to reloading, screening and biomass transport via conveyor belts to silos. Fungi representing the genus Aspergillus, including A. fumigatus, A. niger, A. flavus and Gram-negative rods of the genus Citrobacter, Pseudomonas and Rahnella prevailed in the air at all investigated workplaces. Bacterial and fungal concentrations in biomass samples amounted to 1.8 x 10(6) cfu/g and 1.1 x10(6) cfu/g, respectively. The qualitative analysis revealed that the composition of species in the biomass samples was similar to that observed in the air at workplaces. Conclusions Workers engaged in the biomass combustion technology are exposed to bioaerosol containing potentially pathogenic bacteria and fungi.

14 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The efficacy of the Airborne Sample Analysis Platform (ASAP) 2800Bioaerosol sampler to collect representative samples of air and identify specific viruses suspended as bioaerosols is investigated and results support the further development of ASAP for bioaerOSol pathogen detection.
Abstract: The threat of bioterrorism and pandemics has highlighted the urgency for rapid and reliable bioaerosol detection in different environments. Safeguarding against such threats requires continuous sampling of the ambient air for pathogen detection. In this study we investigated the efficacy of the Airborne Sample Analysis Platform (ASAP) 2800 bioaerosol sampler to collect representative samples of air and identify specific viruses suspended as bioaerosols. To test this concept, we aerosolized an innocuous replication-defective bovine adenovirus serotype 3 (BAdV3) in a controlled laboratory environment. The ASAP efficiently trapped the surrogate virus at 5 × 10(3) plaque-forming units (p.f.u.) [2 × 10(5) genome copy equivalent] concentrations or more resulting in the successful detection of the virus using quantitative PCR. These results support the further development of ASAP for bioaerosol pathogen detection.

14 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: An indoor mold detection system based on quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) is described and validated for its reliability and stability to identify airborne fungal particles collected, serving as a promising alternative to high-throughput sequencing to identify indoor molds.
Abstract: Determination and assessment of airborne fungal particles is complex and results of different sampling and analytical strategies are hard to compare due to limitations of each of the techniques Here, an indoor mold detection system based on quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) is described and validated for its reliability and stability to identify airborne fungal particles collected Data obtained from testing the system with fungal DNA, spore suspensions and bioaerosols indicated a need for spiking and normalization of measurements due to material loss and assay specific bias Considering the loss of material during sample processing, detection limits defined for suspensions of Tritirachium oryzae spores were roughly 18 spores per sample Detection of fungal spore mixtures nebulized under controlled conditions in a bioaerosol chamber showed generally 2-3 times higher normalized values measured with the molecular system compared to cultivation Data obtained from a mold infested indoor sampling site and its corresponding outdoor reference measurement showed good correlations between qPCR and high-throughput sequencing (rho = 083, p < 001), if Cladosporium species were excluded Taking necessary data normalization into account, the described qPCR detection system shows great potential to complement commonly used culture based approaches with the aim to improve the precision of indoor mold assessments In contrast to already available qPCR assays that detect certain molds on a species level, this system covers a broad range of relevant fungal communities, serving as a promising alternative to high-throughput sequencing to identify indoor molds

14 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: En conclusion, los trabajadores of una planta de seleccion de envases procedentes of the recogida selectiva de residuos solidos urbanos pueden estar expuestos a agentes biologicos, especialmente en forma of hongos y bacterias gramnegativas.
Abstract: Several studies have showed an association between the work in waste treatment plants and occupational health problems such as irritation of skin, eyes and mucous membranes, pulmonary diseases, gastrointestinal problems and symptoms of organic dust toxic syndrome (ODTS). These symptoms have been related to bioaerosol exposure. The aim of this study was to investigate the occupational exposure to biological agents in a plant sorting source-separated packages (plastics materials, ferric and non-ferric metals) household waste. Airborne samples were collected with M Air T Millipore sampler. The concentration of total fungi and bacteria and gram-negative bacteria were determined and the most abundant genera were identified. The results shown that the predominant airborne microorganisms were fungi, with counts greater than 12,000 cfu/m(3) and gram-negative bacteria, with a environmental concentration between 1,395 and 5,280 cfu/m(3). In both cases, these concentrations were higher than levels obtained outside of the sorting plant. Among the fungi, the predominant genera were Penicillium and Cladosporium, whereas the predominant genera of gram-negative bacteria were Escherichia, Enterobacter, Klebsiella and Serratia. The present study shows that the workers at sorting source-separated packages (plastics materials, ferric and non-ferric metals) domestic waste plant may be exposed to airborne biological agents, especially fungi and gram-negative bacteria.

14 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
07 Oct 2020-PLOS ONE
TL;DR: Analysis of the relationship between airborne pollen concentrations and meteorological parameters showed that variations in the pollen concentrations were mainly affected by temperature and relative humidity, and there were substantial differences in these relationships in different seasons.
Abstract: Pollen is an important component of bioaerosol and the distribution of pollen and its relationship with meteorological parameters can be analyzed to better prevent hay fever. Pollen assemblages can also provide basic data for analyzing the relationship between bioaerosol and PM. We collected 82 samples of airborne pollen using a TSP large flow pollen collector from June 1, 2015 to June 1, 2016, from central Zhanjiang city in South China. We also conducted a survey of the nearby vegetation at the same time, in order to characterize the major plant types and their flowering times. We then used data on daily temperature, relative humidity, precipitation, vapor pressure and wind speed from a meteorological station in the center of Zhanjiang City to assess the relationship between the distribution of airborne pollen and meteorological parameters. Our main findings and conclusions are as follows: (1) We identified 15 major pollen types, including Pinus, Castanopsis, Myrica, Euphorbiaceae, Compositae, Gramineae, Microlepia and Polypodiaceae. From the vegetation survey, we found that the pollen from these taxa represented more than 75% of local pollen, while the pollen of Podocarpus, Dacrydium and other regional pollen types represented less than 25%. (2) The pollen concentrations varied significantly in different seasons. The pollen concentrations were at a maximum in spring, consisting mainly of tree pollen; the pollen concentrations were at an intermediate level in autumn and winter, consisting mainly of herb pollen and fern spores; and the pollen concentrations in summer were the lowest, consisting mainly of fern spores. (3) Analysis of the relationship between airborne pollen concentrations and meteorological parameters showed that variations in the pollen concentrations were mainly affected by temperature and relative humidity. In addition, there were substantial differences in these relationships in different seasons. In spring, pollen concentrations were mainly affected by temperature; in summer, they were mainly affected by the direction of the maximum wind speed; in autumn, they were mainly affected by relative humidity and temperature; and in winter, they were mainly affected by relative humidity and wind speed. Temperature and relative humidity promote plant growth and flowering. Notably, the variable wind direction in summer and the increased wind speed in winter and spring are conductive to pollen transmission. (4) Of the 15 major pollen types, Moraceae, Artemisia and Gramineae are the main allergenic pollen types, with peaks in concentration during April-May, August-September, and October-December, respectively. (5) Atypical weather conditions have substantial effects on pollen dispersal. In South China, the pollen concentrations in the sunny day were usually significantly higher than that of the rainy day. The pollen concentrations increased in short rainy days, which usually came from the Herb and Fern pollen. The pollen concentrations decreased in continuous rainy days especially for the Tree and Shrub pollen. the pollen concentrations in the sunny days were usually significantly higher than that in the rainy days. The pollen concentrations increased in short and strong rainfall.

14 citations


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Performance
Metrics
No. of papers in the topic in previous years
YearPapers
2023133
2022235
202195
202094
201989
201871