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 ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Understanding the airborne migration of pathogens and the consequent transmission of diseases such as COVID-19 requires an ability to monitor bioaerosols at high spatio-temporal resolution. For such monitoring, there is an immediate need for bioaerosol samplers that are easy to deploy and optimized for downstream analysis. In this study, we introduce a small, inexpensive, low-power, and a low-pressure drop device, called TracB, that integrates low-cost aerosol sensing with bioaerosol sampling using electrostatic precipitation technique. The device was designed for an efficient collection of particles in the size range of 0.01-10 mm, making it suitable for a wide range of downstream microbial analysis. A low-cost particle charger has been integrated with the device to improve the collection efficiency of the sampled particles. The performance of the device was tested with Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurtsaki (Btk) as the biological test organism for different operating conditions. The ability of the device to efficiently collect bio-particles when the charger was oriented parallel to the particle flow was confirmed with computational fluid dynamics simulations. Over 50% of biological and nonbiological test particles were collected in the device when operated with an ionizer and a precipitation electric field of 8 kV/ cm. Our results demonstrate the potential of the device to be used as an autonomous unit suitable for long-term air sampling at diverse indoor and outdoor locations.

Application of nanopore sequencing for accurate identification of bacterial colonies

“…Bioaerosol samples were collected from the Clarkson University campus using a portable bioaerosol sampler (Trace Aerosol sensor and Collector for Bio-particles, TracB), which captured airborne particles on a collection plate by electrostatic precipitation. 48 After two weeks of sample collection by the TracB device, particles deposited on the collection plate were wiped using a sterile cotton swab, pre-wetted with sterile PBS. The sample was immediately inoculated on Tryptic Soy Agar (TSA, Difco) plates by gently spreading the swab over the agar media.…”

Mechanisms, Techniques and Devises of Airborne Virus Detection: A Review

“…Priyamvada et al improved the collection efficiency of the subsequent precipitation fraction by using an aerosol mixing method in the device to mix charged aerosol particles with target aerosol particles in the inlet section to make them charged with a higher charge [27]. Kalaiselvan et al indicates that essential oil vapors of Melaleuca alternifolia act on aerosol coronaviruses, E. coli or fungal Aspergillus flavus spores to reduce the number of culturable microbial cells [72].…”

“…This device has a high collection efficiency and it has discovered that the collection efficiency decreases as the flow rate increases. Priyamvada et al developed a new electrostatic precipitation-based portable low-cost sampler (TracB) using the principles of prefixing and electrostatic precipitator [27]. The collection efficiency is above 50% for particles with particle size 0.01-10µm at 8kV and flow rate: 10 L/min.…”

Mechanisms, Techniques and Devices of Airborne Virus Detection: A Review

“…The precharge on aerosol PMs increases the Coulomb force and shortens the length of the device’s collection section, enabling PMs to be deposited onto the collection plate faster ( Figure 2 A) [ 87 , 88 , 89 , 90 ]. Priyamvada discovered that the precharging technique increased the efficiency of PM collection from 16% to 49% [ 37 ]. Alternatively, the premixing of charged aerosols in the inlet section may serve as another potential charging method for increasing PM collection efficiency (as shown in Figure 2 B).…”