Airborne microorganisms may cause a wide range of respiratory and other health disorders in individuals exposed to occupational or residential environments. Governmental and military establishments have also become very concerned about intentional microorganism release into air by terrorists. Therefore, there is considerable interest in the IH community for a sampling technique that collects airborne microorganisms efficiently at low power input.

Based on several years of research on the electrostatic properties of airborne microorganisms, we have developed and evaluated a new bioaerosol sampler in which the organisms are collected by electrostatic means. An ionizer in the inlet charges the incoming organisms, if they carry insufficient charge for efficient collection in the device. The organisms are collected on two square agar plates that are placed along the flow axis.

Laboratory experiments with inert NaCl particles versus different bacterial cells and spores have shown that the collection of microorganisms is generally more efficient than that of inert particles, even after electric charge neutralization with a Kr-85 radioactive source. We attribute this difference to the natural negative charge contained in the cell membranes of microorganisms. A small amount of ionization in the inlet section was found to increase the collection efficiency of microorganisms significantly more than that of inert particles. With no charges applied at the inlet, charge-neutralized Bacillus subtilis cells and spores were collected at 4 Lpm with an efficiency close to 80%. With an ionizing current of 110 mA, the efficiency increased to 90% to 100%, depending on the precipitation voltage. The new electrostatic precipitator is small and uses standard microbiological analysis techniques, and is thus suitable for industrial hygiene field use.

• fungi: assessment, sampling and analysis : electrostatic precipitator

1. Aerosol characteristics of airborne actinomycetes and fungi
2. Characteristics of airborne actinomycete spores
3. Collection of airborne microorganisms by a new electrostatic precipitator
4. Collection of bioaerosol particles by impaction: effect of fungal spore agglomeration and bounce
5. Collection of fungal spores on air filters and spore reentrainment from filters into air
6. Development and evaluation of aerosol generators for biological materials
7. Effect of impact stress on microbial recovery on an agar surface
8. Effect of relative humidity on the aerodynamic diameter and respiratory deposition of fungal spores
9. Evaluation of a new personal sampler for enumerating airborne spores
10. Fungal fragments as indoor air biocontaminants
11. Improved aerosol collection by combined impaction and centrifugal motion
12. Inlet sampling efficiency of bioaerosol samplers
13. Long-term sampling of airbome bacteria and fungi into a non-evaporating liquid
14. Performance characteristics of the button personal inhalable aerosol sampler
15. Performance of Air-O-Cell, Burkard, and Button samplers for total enumeration of airborne spores
16. Performance of bioaerosol samplers: collection characteristics and sampler design considerations
17. Release of lead-containing particles from a wall enclosure
18. Release of Streptomyces albus propagules from contaminated surfaces
19. Source strength of fungal spore aerosolization from moldy building material
20. Techniques for dispersion of microorganisms into air  

1. Collection of airborne microorganisms by a new electrostatic precipitator
2. Collection of airborne spores by circular single-stage impactors with small jet-to-plate distance
3. Release of Streptomyces albus propagules from contaminated surfaces  

1. Airborne viable, non-viable, and allergenic fungi in a rural agricultural area of India: a 2-year study at five outdoor sampling stations
2. Collection of airborne microorganisms by a new electrostatic precipitator
3. Studies on airborne fungal spores from two indoor cowsheds of suburban and rural areas of West Bengal, India  

1. Aerodynamic diameters and respiratory deposition estimates of viable fungal particles in mold problem dwellings
2. Aerodynamic versus physical size of spores: measurement and implication for respiratory deposition
3. Aerosol characteristics of airborne actinomycetes and fungi
4. Characteristics of airborne actinomycete spores
5. Collection of airborne microorganisms by a new electrostatic precipitator
6. Collection of airborne spores by circular single-stage impactors with small jet-to-plate distance
7. Collection of bioaerosol particles by impaction: effect of fungal spore agglomeration and bounce
8. Collection of fungal spores on air filters and spore reentrainment from filters into air
9. Comparison of concentrations and size distributions of fungal spores in buildings with and without mould problems
10. Control of exposure to airborne viable microorganisms during remediation of moldy buildings; report of three case studies
11. Development and evaluation of aerosol generators for biological materials
12. Effect of building frame and moisture damage on microbiological indoor air quality in school buildings
13. Effect of indoor sources on fungal spore concentrations and size distributions
14. Effect of relative humidity on the aerodynamic diameter and respiratory deposition of fungal spores
15. Evaluation of a new personal sampler for enumerating airborne spores
16. Everyday activities and variation of fungal spore concentrations in indoor air
17. Field Testing of New Aerosol Sampling Method With a Porous Curved Surface as Inlet
18. Fungal fragments as indoor air biocontaminants
19. Fungal spore source strength tester: laboratory evaluation of a new concept
20. Long-term sampling of airbome bacteria and fungi into a non-evaporating liquid
21. Performance of Air-O-Cell, Burkard, and Button samplers for total enumeration of airborne spores
22. Personal exposures and microenvironmental concentrations of particles and bioaerosols
23. Release of Streptomyces albus propagules from contaminated surfaces
24. Size distributions of airborne microbes in moisture-damaged and reference school buildings of two construction types
25. Techniques for dispersion of microorganisms into air
26. Total and culturable airborne bacteria and fungi in arid region flood-damaged residences
27. Viable fungal spores as indoor aerosols  

1. Aerodynamic versus physical size of spores: measurement and implication for respiratory deposition
2. Aerosol characteristics of airborne actinomycetes and fungi
3. Characteristics of airborne actinomycete spores
4. Collection of airborne microorganisms by a new electrostatic precipitator
5. Collection of airborne spores by circular single-stage impactors with small jet-to-plate distance
6. Collection of bioaerosol particles by impaction: effect of fungal spore agglomeration and bounce
7. Collection of fungal spores on air filters and spore reentrainment from filters into air
8. Development and evaluation of aerosol generators for biological materials
9. Effect of impact stress on microbial recovery on an agar surface
10. Effect of relative humidity on the aerodynamic diameter and respiratory deposition of fungal spores
11. Evaluation of a new personal sampler for enumerating airborne spores
12. Field Testing of New Aerosol Sampling Method With a Porous Curved Surface as Inlet
13. Fungal fragments as indoor air biocontaminants
14. Fungal spore source strength tester: laboratory evaluation of a new concept
15. Improved aerosol collection by combined impaction and centrifugal motion
16. Inlet sampling efficiency of bioaerosol samplers
17. Long-term sampling of airbome bacteria and fungi into a non-evaporating liquid
18. Performance characteristics of the button personal inhalable aerosol sampler
19. Performance of Air-O-Cell, Burkard, and Button samplers for total enumeration of airborne spores
20. Release of lead-containing particles from a wall enclosure
21. Release of Streptomyces albus propagules from contaminated surfaces
22. Techniques for dispersion of microorganisms into air  

1. Collection of airborne microorganisms by a new electrostatic precipitator
2. Power output analysis of transparent thin-film module in building integrated photovoltaic system (BIPV)
3. Practical application of building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) system using transparent amorphous silicon thin-film PV module
4. The Indoor Thermal Research of the HCRI-BIPV Smart Window
5. The use of the green fluorescent protein as a biomarker for sapstain fungi