Topic
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: Different Legionella species might be rapidly quantified down to 4×103 cells/m3, which fulfills the requirements for bioaerosol measurements in the environment and in the interior, and the detection limit with Coriolis® μ was lower by a factor of 100 due to the higher sampling rate.
40 citations
TL;DR: The granulocyte assay reacts to multiple contaminants in the environmental samples and can be used to obtain a measurement of TIP, and potential occupational health effects related to inflammation of the airways in a working environment can be estimated using this assay.
Abstract: Occupational health symptoms related to bioaerosol exposure have been observed in a variety of working environments. Bioaerosols contain microorganisms and microbial components. The aim of this study was to estimate the total inflammatory potential (TIP) of bioaerosols using an in vitro assay based on granulocyte-like cells. A total of 129 bioaerosol samples were collected in the breathing zone of workers during their daily working routine at 22 biofuel plants. The samples were analyzed by traditional assays for dust, endotoxin, fungal spores, (1-->3)-beta-d-glucan, total number of bacteria, the enzyme N-acetyl-beta-d-glucosaminidase (NAGase; primarily originating from fungi), Aspergillus fumigatus, and mesophilic and thermophilic actinomycetes; the samples were also assayed for TIP. In a multilinear regression four factors were significant for the TIP values obtained: endotoxin (P 3)-beta-d-glucan (P = 0.0005), and mesophilic actinomycetes (P = 0.0063). Using this model to estimate TIP values on the basis of microbial composition, the correlation to the measured values was r = 0.91. When TIP values obtained in the granulocyte assay were related to the primary working area, we found that bioaerosol samples from personnel working in straw storage facilities showed high TIP values ( approximately 50 times the TIP of unstimulated controls). In contrast, bioaerosol samples from personnel with work functions in offices or laboratories showed low TIP values ( approximately 5 times the TIP of the unstimulated control). This indicates, as expected, that these areas were less contaminated. In conclusion, the granulocyte assay reacts to multiple contaminants in the environmental samples and can be used to obtain a measurement of TIP. Therefore, potential occupational health effects related to inflammation of the airways in a working environment can be estimated using this assay.
40 citations
TL;DR: vegetable growers’ exposure to bioaerosols was related to the environment, in which they worked, the investigated work tasks, and the vegetable crop, and it was found that the factors (i) work task, (ii) crop, including growth stage of handled plant material, and (iii) open field versus greenhouse significantly affected the workers’ Exposure to bio aerosols.
Abstract: We have quantified vegetable growers’ exposure to fungal bioaerosol components including (1/3)-b-d-glucan (b-glucan), total fungal spores, and culturable fungal units. Furthermore, we have evaluated factors that might affect vegetable growers’ exposure to fungal bioaerosols and airborne dust. Investigated environments included greenhouses producing cucumbers and tomatoes, open fields producing cabbage, broccoli, and celery, and packing facilities. Measurements were performed at different times during the growth season and during execution of different work tasks. Bioaerosols were collected with personal and stationary filter samplers. Selected fungal species (Beauveria spp., Trichoderma spp., Penicillium olsonii, and Penicillium brevicompactum) were identified using different polymerase chain reaction-based methods and sequencing. We found that the factors (i) work task, (ii) crop, including growth stage of handled plant material, and (iii) open field versus greenhouse significantly affected the workers’ exposure to bioaerosols. Packing of vegetables and working in open fields caused significantly lower exposure to bioaerosols, e.g. mesophilic fungi and dust, than harvesting in greenhouses and clearing of senescent greenhouse plants. Also removing strings in cucumber greenhouses caused a lower exposure to bioaerosols than harvest of cucumbers while removal of old plants caused the highest exposure. In general, the exposure was higher in greenhouses than in open fields. The exposures to b-glucan during harvest and clearing of senescent greenhouse plants were very high (median values ranging between 50 and 1500 ng m 23 ) compared to exposures reported from other occupational environments. In conclusion, vegetable growers’ exposure to bioaerosols was related to the environment, in which they worked, the investigated work tasks, and the vegetable crop.
40 citations
TL;DR: The flattened profile was observed to increase the reproducibility of single-spore mass spectra and is particularly significant because it is expected to enable more robust differentiation and identification of single bioaerosol particles.
Abstract: Bioaerosol mass spectrometry is being developed to analyze and identify biological aerosols in real time. Mass spectra of individual Bacillus endospores were measured with a bipolar aerosol time-of-flight mass spectrometer in which molecular desorption and ionization were produced using a single laser pulse from a Q-switched, frequency-quadrupled Nd:YAG laser that was modified to have an approximately flattop profile. The flattened laser profile allowed the minimum fluence required to desorb and ionize significant numbers of ions from single aerosol particles to be determined. For Bacillus spores, this threshold had a mean value of approximately 1 nJ/microm(2) (0.1 J/cm(2)). Thresholds for individual spores, however, could apparently deviate by 20% or more from the mean. Threshold distributions for clumps of MS2 bacteriophage and bovine serum albumin were subsequently determined. Finally, the flattened profile was observed to increase the reproducibility of single-spore mass spectra. This is consistent with the general conclusions of our earlier paper on the fluence dependence of single-spore mass spectra and is particularly significant because it is expected to enable more robust differentiation and identification of single bioaerosol particles.
40 citations
TL;DR: The authors measured the airborne bacteria and fungi concentrations 46 times inside two swine sheds and four poultry sheds and found that Aspergillus, Cladosporium, and Penicillium were the most prevalent fungal genera, as most of the fungi belonged to these groups.
Abstract: There is a limited amount of information available on stock farmers' exposure to airborne bacteria and fungi. In this study, the authors measured the airborne bacteria and fungi concentrations 46 times inside two swine sheds and four poultry sheds. Aspergillus, Cladosporium, and Penicillium were the most prevalent fungal genera, as most of the fungi belonged to these groups. Many microbial concentrations exceeded the Korean indoor bioaerosol guideline 800 CFU m(-3) (i.e., colony-forming units per cubic meter of air). This finding suggests the need for a strategy to reduce stock farmers' occupational exposure to the microorganisms in swine and poultry sheds, and the necessity of performing a longitudinal survey to better examine farmer exposure levels and their variability. Another finding was that the use of a sanitary mask may reduce stock farmers' exposure to bioaerosols.
40 citations