Abstract
Bioaerosol sampling and identification are vital for the assessment and control of airborne pathogens, allergens, and toxins. In-situ analysis of chemical and biological particulate matter can significantly reduce the costs associated with sample preservation, transport, and analysis. The analysis of conventional filters is challenging, due to dilute samples in large collection regions. A low-cost cartridge for collection and analysis of aerosols is developed for use in epidemiological studies and personal exposure assessments. The cartridge collects aerosol samples in a micro-well which reduces particles losses due to the bounce and does not require any coating. The confined particle collection area (dwell~1.4 mm) allows reducing the elution volume for subsequent analysis. The performance of the cartridge is validated in laboratory studies using aerosolized bacterial spores (Bacillus subtilis). Colony forming unit analysis is used for bacterial spore enumeration. Cartridge collection efficiency is evaluated by comparison with the reference filters and found to be consistent with tested flow rates. Sample recovery for the pipette elution is ~80%. Due to the high density of the collected sample, the cartridge is compatible with in-situ spectroscopic analysis and sample elution into the 10–20 μl liquid volume providing a significant increase in sample concentration for subsequent analysis.
Highlights
Many environmental and occupational exposure studies are aimed at understanding negative effects of bioaerosols on human health
To estimate the power consumption and to aid with the selection of the pump for the personal exposure monitors, we evaluated the cartridge for pressure drop as a function of the flow rates
The experimental pressure drop of the low-cost cartridge was compared to the results of the computational fluid dynamics study performed during the design stage [37]
Summary
Many environmental and occupational exposure studies are aimed at understanding negative effects of bioaerosols on human health. Exposure to bioaerosols is of interest in occupational settings like dairy farms, textile plants, and grain processing and the indoor air studies, e.g. Aerosol particles are collected onto a solid substrate or filter media, into a liquid volume, or directly deposited onto a growth media. Several techniques have been used for the collection of bioaerosols, including filter collection, centrifugal collection, electrostatic precipitation, liquid impingement, and impaction.
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