Abstract
A preliminary study was performed using two sampling instruments for airborne bacteria and fungi collection. A Reuter Centrifugal Sampler (RCS) and the open-faced type membrane filter sampler (Sartorius MD8) were compared for evaluating their capability of viable particles recovery. 61 series of parallel samples were collected in the air of a microbiological laboratory. Bacteria and fungi per cubic metre of air were enumerated using appropriate culture media and reported in terms of colony forming units (CFU). Performances of the two instruments for fungi were comparable and significantly correlated, particularly when the Rose Bengal Agar (RBA) medium was used (geometric mean: 237 CFU/m3 for RCS and 247 CFU/m3 for MD8; correlation coefficient: 0.78). Bacterial counts from MD8 resulted consistently lower than those obtained from RCS. The observed high variability suggests the existence of selective collection efficiencies which tend to underestimate the actual occurrence of airborne microrganisms.
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