Size-selective Bioaerosol Sampler Combined with an Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) Bioluminescence Assay
Abstract No:
1711
Abstract Type:
Student Poster
Authors:
l liao1, J Park1
Institutions:
1Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
Presenter:
Li Liao
Purdue University
Purdue University
Faculty Advisor:
Dr. Jae Park, Ph.D./CIH
Purdue University
Purdue University
Description:
Airborne biological dust (bioaerosol) are ubiquitous in environments and are found associated with adverse health effects. To measure the concentration of bioaerosols, sampling followed by cultivation method has been used as a conventional method. However, the limitations of conventional methods including time-consuming and low measurable concentration have not been resolved. To overcome the limitations of conventional methods, a new bioaerosol sampler combined with adenosine triphosphate (ATP) bioluminescence assay for rapid quantification of bioaerosols was developed in this research. The developed ATP bioaerosol sampler was proved to use in personal and area samplings in both environmental and occupational settings, as a more rapid, inexpensive, and accurate measurements for bioaerosols.
Situation/Problem:
Exposure to bioaerosols greatly increases the risk for acute and chronic diseases, including infectious disease, acute toxic effects, allergies and cancer. Workers in waste sorting and composting industries frequently suffer from respiratory and airway inflammation, which is linked to exposure to high-level bioaerosols. Measurement of bioaerosol is essential for controlling air quality, assessing exposure, identifying sources, and eventually protecting workers' health. However, the approaches for simple quantitative monitoring are currently limited. The size-selective bioaerosol sampler combined with ATP Bioluminescence assay was developed to overcome the limitations of conventional methods and measure the bioaerosols in the field.
Methods:
We developed a bioaerosol sampler consisting of a respirable cyclone (cut-off diameter of 4 μm), a 3-jet impactor to collect bioaerosols onto the head of a swab used for ATP assay, a swab holder, and a sampling pump. Two different swabs having different sensitivity were selected and examined. A sensitive swab (SuperSnap, Hygiena, LLC, U.S.A.) and a less sensitive swab (UltraSnap, Hygiena, LLC, U.S.A.) were tested and compared. The swabs and bioluminometer were tested with Escherichia coli (E. coli) and then the correlation between ATP bioluminescence and colony forming unit (CFU) was examined to obtain a conversion equation. The performance of the sampler was also evaluated and compared with a conventional method in the lab. The bioaerosol sampler collected aerosolized E. coli and their concentrations were measured using ATP bioluminescence assay. A conventional method consisting of sampling using an Andersen impactor and counting the CFU after incubation was used for comparison.
Results / Conclusions:
The amount of bacteria measured by the ATP bioluminometer which is expressed in relative light units (RLUs), was proportional to CFU. SuperSnap (R2 = 0.81) shows better linear regression than UltraSnap (R2 = 0.53). The slop value of SuperSnap (633.60) and larger than one of UltraSnap (277.78) which means SuperSnap is 2.3 times more sensitive than UltraSnap for E. coli. The CFU concentrations measured using SuperSnap and UltraSnap were proportional to those measured using the Andersen impactor. The R2 of SuperSnap (0.85) was higher than one of UltraSnap (0.74). However, the slopes of both linear regressions were slightly larger than 1.
Primary Topic:
Aerosols
Secondary Topics:
Exposure Assessment Strategies
Sampling and Analysis
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Acknowledgements and References
List any additional people who worked on the project or provided guidance and support along with details on the role they played in the research. (Please include first name, last name, organization, city, state and country).
Jeong Hoon Byeon: School of Mechanical Engineering, Yeungnam University, South Korea
This work was also supported by the United States National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health under Grant (T03OH008615) and the Yeungnam University Research Grant (219A380028).