Effect of Sampling Time and Air Humidity on the Bioefficiency of Filter Samples for Bioaerosol Collection

Details

• Personal Author:
  Gorny RL ; Grinshpun SA ; Reponen T ; Wang Z ; Willeke K
• Description:
  The effect of sampling time on the biological collection efficiency of viable airborne microorganisms was studied with two personal filter samplers (the Button Inhalable Aerosol Sampler and the 37-mm cassette) under relative humidities (RH) of 30 and 85%. Polycarbonate filters mounted in the samplers were challenged with five aerosolized microorganisms (fungal spores, endospores, and bacterial vegetative cells) and air was drawn through the samplers for a period of time ranging from 2 min to 8 h. The microorganisms were extracted from the filters at extraction efficiency of 96-98% by vortexing and ultrasonic agitation. The suspension of extracted microorganisms was analyzed by cultivation and by epifluorescence microscopic counting. Most of the tests did not indicate statistically significant differences in the bioefficiency of the two samplers. The culturability of Penicillium melinii and Aspergillus versicolor fungal spores at low and high RH values of 30 and 85% decreased during the first few minutes, but remained approximately the same for sampling times ranging from 30 min to 8 h. The relative culturability of Bacillus subtilis endospores decreased with sampling time, and was 17% at RH=30% and 32% at RH=85%. Pseudomonas fluorescens and Serratia marcescens vegetative cells were culturable only if sampled for 10 min or less. This concluded that the bioefficiency of filter samplers not only depends on the microbial species, but also on the sampling time and relative humidity. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Aerosols Air Pollutants, Occupational Biological Products Filtration Humidity Microbiology Occupational Health Particulate Matter Safety
• Keywords:
  Airborne-particles Analytical-instruments Analytical-processes Author Keywords: Bioaerosols Biological-material Equipment-reliability Filter-materials Filters Microorganisms Samplers Sampling Spores Ultrasonic-testing

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• ISSN:
  0021-8502
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Ohio ; OSHA Region 5
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  32
• Issue:
  5
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20022169
• Citation:
  J Aerosol Sci 2001 May; 32(5):661-674
• Contact Point Address:
  Tiina Reponen, Aerosol Research and Exposure Assessment Laboratory, Department of Environmental Health, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45267-0056, USA
• Email:
  tiina.reponen@uc.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2001
• NORA Priority Area:
  Research Tools and Approaches: Exposure Assessment Methods
• Performing Organization:
  University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  19980201
• Source Full Name:
  Journal of Aerosol Science
• End Date:
  20020131
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:c7f93ae0d65d7faf741ebb52e21d9798e7a0baa571c94e580a230565b6c945ff480ddd3c86a94c979b9665358232c101b6b708598f8d850025c77b9b751443a2
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/199052/cdc_199052_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 184.85 KB ]