A simplified application of the Andersen sampler to the study of airborne fungus particles

Abstract

An application of the Andersen sampler to the study of potentially allergenic, culturable, airborne fungus particles is described. For this purpose, a highly modified technique with a single culture plate beneath stage 6 (S 6 arrangement) was evaluated and found to produce a “telescoped” collection qualitatively comparable with growth obtained by conventional 6 plate arrays. The S 6 arrangement also appeared to yield quantitatively valid results if optimally short sampling periods were chosen. Up to 3 per cent of particles, capable of growth on the media used, were noted to bypass the S 6 plate after entering the intake orifice; however, these losses were not necessarily related to particle size. Significant impaction of particles upon sampler hardware was not suggested, and withdrawal of plates from the upper stages appeared to obviate adventitious deposition at those points. Increased particle recoveries were obtained when the sampler was made wind oriented, with the advantages being shown most clearly for genera having relatively large spores. Qualitative comparisons between collections made simultaneously by the open-culture plate method and by the wind-oriented Andersen sampler confirmed the latter's major theoretical advantage in recovering small-spored genera.