Bioaerosol

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

Miniature PCR based portable bioaerosol monitor development.

Abstract: Aims A portable bioaerosol monitor is highly demanded technology in many areas including air quality control, occupational exposure assessment and health risk evaluation, environmental studies and, especially, in defence and bio-terrorism applications. Our recent groundwork allowed us to formulate the concept of a portable bioaerosol monitor, which ought to be light, user friendly, reliable and capable of detecting airborne pathogens within 1 -1.5 hours at the spot. Methods and Results Conceptually, the event of bioaerosol concentration burst is determined by triggers, commencing representative air sampling with sequential real-time PCR confirmation of the targeted microorganism presence in the air. To minimise the reagent consumption and idle running of the technology, an event of the bioaerosol burst is confirming by three parameters: aerosol particles size, concentration and composition. The only particles sizes above 200 nm attract interest towards the bioaerosol. The only elevated aerosol concentration above the threshold (background aerosol concentration) is a signal for analytical procedure commencement. The combination of our previously developed personal bioaerosol sampler, aerosol particle counter based trigger and portable real-time PCR device formed the basis of bioaerosol monitoring technology. The portable real-time PCR device was advanced to provide the internally controlled detection, significantly reducing false positive alarms. Conclusions The technique is capable to detect selected airborne microorganisms at a spot within 30 – 80 minutes, depending on the particular strain genome organisation. Significance and Impact of Study Due to recent outbreaks of infectious airborne diseases and the continuing threat of intentionally-released bioaerosol attacks, investigations into the possibility of early and reliable detection of pathogenic microorganisms in the air is becoming increasingly important. The proposed technology consisting of a bioaerosol sampler, technology trigger and PCR device is capable to detect selected airborne microorganisms at a spot within short time period. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

[Concentration and size distribution of bioaerosols at non-haze and haze days in Beijing].

Abstract: In recent years, haze has been observed frequently in Beijing. Haze was one of the atmospheric phenomena caused by the accumulation of particulate matter. As an important fraction of particular matter, bioaerosol could potentially cause significantly negative health effects. In this study, we detected the concentration and size distribution of viable bioaerosol during non-haze and haze days, analyzed correlation of viable bioaerosol with the ambient temperature and relative humidity using Spearman's correlation coefficient and finally detected the changing of size distribution of viable bioaerosol in summer and winter. Results indicated that concentrations of viable bioaerosol exhibited a negative correlation with Air Quality Index (AQI) of PM2.5 and positive correlation with temperature. Relative humidity had a negative correlation with airborne bacteria while positive correlation with airborne fungi. The highest concentration of airborne bacteria and fungi were detected at size arrange of 4.5-7.0 μm and 2. 1-3.3 μm in the winter, respectively. In the summer, both the highest concentration of airborne bacteria and fungi were observed at size arrange of 3.3-4.5 μm. The results of this study will provide the basis data for hazard evaluation of bioaerosol on human health at non-haze and haze days.

Design and evaluation of a new electrostatic precipitation-based portable low-cost sampler for bioaerosol monitoring

Abstract: The importance of bioaerosols to human and ecosystem health is evident as we tackle the on-going coronavirus pandemic. Understanding the airborne migration of pathogens and the consequent transmiss...

Assessment of the Suitability of Different Substrate Materials for Bioaerosol Sampling

Abstract: Bioaerosols may comprise infectious, allergenic and microbial particles. A range of static bioaerosol sampling methods currently exist and are described in detail by Crook (1996). Most of these aim to collect the sample in a viable, culturable state so that an estimate of the bioaerosol concentration may be made by counting the number of colonies that develop on agar growth media. The majority of these methods are poorly characterised, either in terms of their physical sampling efficiency, or in terms of the recovery and survival rates of collected microorganisms. Personal sampling for bioaerosols is generally carried out using standard aerosol samplers that collect the aerosol onto a filter. The dehydration effects caused by this method can greatly reduce the viability of the more delicate micro-organisms, especially bacteria. This is not problematic where the analysis of bioaerosol concentrations is carried out on both living and dead cells using direct counting by microscopy, biochemical or molecular detection methods. In some instances however, culturing is necessary, either to aid species identification (in the case of allergenic organisms) or to demonstrate the viability of pathogens. Existing samplers therefore have a number of disadvantages when used to assess health risks to workers arising from exposure to airborne micro-organisms. A rational, scientifically-based scheme for assessing bioaerosol exposures requires a personal sampler with the following characteristics: