Bioaerosol

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

Real-time detection and characterization of individual flowing airborne biological particles: fluorescence spectra and elastic scattering measurements

Abstract: Real-time methods which is reagentless and could detect and partially characterize bioaerosols are of current interest. We present a technique for real-time measurement of UV-excited fluorescence spectra and two-dimensional angular optical scattering (TAOS) from individual flowing biological aerosol particles. The fluorescence spectra have been observed from more than 20 samples including Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Erwinia herbicola, allergens, dust, and smoke. The S/N and resolution of the spectra are sufficient for observing small lineshape differences among the same type of bioaerosol prepared under different conditions. The additional information from TAOS regarding particle size, shape, and granularity has the potential of aiding in distinguishing bacterial aerosols from other aerosols, such as diesel and cigarette smoke.

Characterization of particulate matter concentrations and bioaerosol on each floor at a building in Seoul, Korea.

Abstract: Particulate matter (PM) in buildings are mostly sourced from the transport of outdoor particles through a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system and generation of particle within the building itself. We investigated the concentrations and characteristic of indoor and outdoor particles and airborne bacteria concentrations across four floors of a building located in a high-traffic area. In all the floors we studied (first, second, fifth, and eighth), the average concentrations of particles less than 10 μm (PM10) in winter for were higher than those in summer. On average, a seasonal variation in the PM10 level was found for the first, fifth, and eighth floors, such that higher values occurred in the winter season, compared to the summer season. In addition, in winter, the indoor concentrations of PM10 on the first, fifth, and eighth floors were higher than those of the outdoor PM10. The maximum level of airborne bacteria concentration was found in a fifth floor office, which held a private academy school consisting of many students. Results indicated that the airborne bacteria remained at their highest concentration throughout the weekday period and varied by students' activity. The correlation coefficient (R (2)) and slope of linear approximation for the concentrations of particulate matter were used to evaluate the relationship between the indoor and outdoor particulate matter. These results can be used to predict both the indoor particle levels and the risk of personal exposure to airborne bacteria.

Efficiency and Eco-Costs of Air Purifiers in Terms of Improving Microbiological Indoor Air Quality in Dwellings—A Case Study

Abstract: Air pollution, a by-product of economic growth, generates an enormous environmental cost in Poland. The issue of healthy living spaces and indoor air quality (IAQ) is a global concern because people spend approximately 90% of their time indoors. An increasingly popular method to improve IAQ is to use air purifiers (APs). Indoor air is often polluted by bioaerosols (e.g., viruses, bacteria, fungi), which are a major concern for public health. This work presents research on culturable bacterial aerosol (CBA) samples collected from dwellings with or without active APs during the 2019 summer season. The CBA samples were collected using a six-stage Andersen cascade impactor (ACI). The CBA concentrations were expressed as Colony Forming Units (CFU) per cubic metre of air. The average concentration of CBA in dwellings when the AP was active was 450–570 CFU/m3, whereas the average concentration when the AP was not active was 920–1000 CFU/m3. IAQ, when the APs were active, was on average almost 50% better than in cases where there were no procedures to decrease the concentration of air pollutants. Moreover, the obtained results of the particle size distribution (PSD) of CBA indicate that the use of APs reduced the proportion of the respirable fraction (the particles < 3.3 µm) by about 16%. Life cycle assessment (LCA) was used to assess the ecological cost of air purification. Our conceptual approach addresses the impact of indoor air pollution on human health and estimates the ecological cost of APs and air pollution prevention policies.

Significant broadband extinction abilities of bioaerosols

Abstract: Bioaerosol, an important constituent of the atmosphere, can directly affect light radiation characteristics due to absorption and scattering effects. Current research lacks a reasonable explanation for the extinction abilities of bioaerosols in a broadband. Herein, we measured the reflectance spectra of 12 common biomaterials and calculated their complex refractive indexes. The peaks of the imaginary part of the complex refractive indexes are located at wavelengths of approximately 0.7, 2.7, 6.1 and 9.5 μm. Based on photographs of the floating structures of bioaerosols, we constructed a model for calculating the extinction abilities of bioaerosols in the wavelength range of 240 nm to 14 μm . Taking AN02 spores as an example, absorption was found to account for more than 90% of the total extinction. In addition, the theoretical calculations and experimental data of transmittance corresponding to the smoke box show that bioaerosol exhibits significant broadband extinction ability from UV to IR bands, which provides new directions for the development of broadband light attenuation materials.