Field Evaluation of Personal Sampling Methods for Multiple Bioaerosols

Abstract

Ambient bioaerosols are ubiquitous in the daily environment and can affect health in various ways. However, few studies have been conducted to comprehensively evaluate personal bioaerosol exposure in occupational and indoor environments because of the complex composition of bioaerosols and the lack of standardized sampling/analysis methods. We conducted a study to determine the most efficient collection/analysis method for the personal exposure assessment of multiple bioaerosols. The sampling efficiencies of three filters and four samplers were compared. According to our results, polycarbonate (PC) filters had the highest relative efficiency, particularly for bacteria. Side-by-side sampling was conducted to evaluate the three filter samplers (with PC filters) and the NIOSH Personal Bioaerosol Cyclone Sampler. According to the results, the Button Aerosol Sampler and the IOM Inhalable Dust Sampler had the highest relative efficiencies for fungi and bacteria, followed by the NIOSH sampler. Personal sampling was performed in a pig farm to assess occupational bioaerosol exposure and to evaluate the sampling/analysis methods. The Button and IOM samplers yielded a similar performance for personal bioaerosol sampling at the pig farm. However, the Button sampler is more likely to be clogged at high airborne dust concentrations because of its higher flow rate (4 L/min). Therefore, the IOM sampler is a more appropriate choice for performing personal sampling in environments with high dust levels. In summary, the Button and IOM samplers with PC filters are efficient sampling/analysis methods for the personal exposure assessment of multiple bioaerosols.

Microbiological analysis of bioaerosols collected from Hospital Emergency Departments and ambulances

“…The presence in offices of the genera Trichoderma and Chaetomium, next to the abundant Penicillium and Aspergillus, also suggests a high level of humidity. Trichoderma and Chaetomium grow in environments with high humidity; they are classified as hydrophilic fungi belonging to so-called tertiary colonizers and require a water activity of about 0.9-0.95 [33]. The large presence of Aspergillus flavus in the air of office spaces may result from poor decontamination.…”

Biological and chemical hazards in water-mix metalworking fluids and mists

“…Thus, they have been shown to reduce the integrity of biological components from the air (Caruana, 2011). The development of "softer" extraction techniques have been shown to reduce the chance of air sampling affecting the overall quantification (Wang et al, 2015).…”

“…The filter cassette holds a 25 mm filter that collects the airborne particles. Depending on the analyte of interest, the filter can be made of a variety of different materials (Wang et al, 2015). The head of the IOM is attached to a sampling pump via autoclavable/sterile PVC tubing.…”

“…The sampling pumps are available from a variety of manufacturers and they can be set to a number of flow rates dependent on the analyte of interest. For example, lower flow rates are generally used for volatile compounds (Wang et al, 2015). Generally, the IOM personal sampler is used at a flow rate of 2 L/min -1 in order to collect particles up to 100 µm in size.…”

“…While the IOM sampler can be utilised to collect bio-aerosol samples for analysis, there is no standardised method to analyse or extract the contaminants from filters taken from bio-aerosol samples (Wang et al, 2015).…”