A Two-Stage Cyclone Using Microcentrifuge Tubes for Personal Bioaerosol Sampling

Details

• Personal Author:
  Chen BT ; Lindsley, William G. ; Schmechel D
• Description:
  Personal aerosol samplers are widely used to monitor human exposure to airborne materials. For bioaerosols, interest is growing in analyzing samples using molecular and immunological techniques. This paper presents a personal sampler that uses a two-stage cyclone to collect bioaerosols into disposable 1.5 ml Eppendorf-type microcentrifuge tubes. Samples can be processed in the tubes for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or immunoassays, and the use of multiple stages fractionates aerosol particles by aerodynamic diameter. The sampler was tested using fluorescent microspheres and aerosolized fungal spores. The sampler had first and second stage cut-off diameters of 2.6 µm and 1.6 µm at 2 l min-1(geometric standard deviation, GSD = 1.45 and 1.75), and 1.8 µm and 1 µm at 3.5 l min-1(GSD = 1.42 and 1.55). The sampler aspiration efficiency was 98% at both flow rates for particles with aerodynamic diameters of 3.1 µm or less. For 6.2 µm particles, the aspiration efficiency was 89% at 2 l min-1 and 96% at 3.5 l min-1. At 3.5 l min-1, the sampler collected 92% of aerosolized Aspergillus versicolor and Penicillium chrysogenum spores inside the two microcentrifuge tubes, with less than 0.4% of the spores collecting on the back-up filter. The design and techniques given here are suitable for personal bioaerosol sampling, and could also be adapted to design larger aerosol samplers for longer-term atmospheric and indoor air quality sampling. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Aerosols Fungi Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Sampling Sampling-equipment Sampling-methods
• ISSN:
  1464-0325
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 3 ; West Virginia
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  HELD - Health Effects Laboratory Division
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  8
• Issue:
  11
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20031125
• Citation:
  J Environ Monit 2006 Nov; 8(11):1136-1142
• Contact Point Address:
  Health Effects Laboratory Division, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 1095 Willowdale Road, Morgantown, WV 26505
• Email:
  WLindsley@cdc.gov
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2007
• NORA Priority Area:
  Disease and Injury: Infectious Diseases
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  Journal of Environmental Monitoring
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:3bfe47ddfd9a479056a45a8bb72122d1290f030515f289204d4be72372c0a38b53b3b8e146db3310f288aa8627b8bfeddae2633e5196842231f39acef1b6c4f3
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/191474/cdc_191474_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 610.39 KB ]