Performance of the Button Personal Inhalable Sampler for the measurement of outdoor aeroallergens

Abstract

No personal aerosol sampler has been evaluated for monitoring aeroallergens in outdoor field conditions and comparedto conventional stationary aerobiological samplers. Recently d evelopedButton Personal Inhalable Aerosol Sampler has demonstrated high sampling efficiency for non-biological particles and low sensitivity to the wind direction and velocity. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the Button Sampler for the measurement of outdoor pollen grains and fungal spores side-by-side with the widely used Rotorod Sampler. The sampling was performed for 8 months (spring, summer andfall) at a monitoring station on the roof of a two-storiedoffice building locatedin the center of the city of Cincinnati. Two identical Button Samplers, one oriented towards the most prevalent wind and the other towards the opposite wind and a Rotorod Sampler were placed side-by-side. The total fungal spore concentration ranged from 129 to 12,980 spores m � 3 (number per cubic meter of air) andthe total pollen concentration from 4 to 4536 pollen m � 3 . The fungal spore concentrations obtainedwith the two Button Samplers correlatedwell ( r ¼ 0:95; po0:0001). The pollen data also showed positive correlation. These findings strongly support the results of earlier studies conducted with non-biological aerosol particles, which demonstrated a low wind dependence of the performance of the Button Sampler compared to other samplers. The Button Sampler’s inlet efficiency was found to be more dependent on wind direction when sampling larger sized Pinaceae pollen grains (aerodynamic diameter E65mm). Comparedto Rotorod , both Button Samplers measuredsignificantly higher total fungal spore concentrations. For total pollen count, the Button Sampler facing the prevalent windshowedconcentrations levels comparable to that of the Rotorod , but the Button Sampler orientedopposite to the prevalent windd emonstratedlower concentration levels. Overall, it was concluded that the Button Sampler is efficient for the personal sampling of outdoor aeroallergens, and is especially beneficial for aeroallergens of small particle size. r 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.