Evaluation of Epifluorescence Methods for Quantifying Bioaerosols in Fine and Coarse Particulate Air Pollution

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

5-24-2019

Publication Title

Atmospheric Environment

Volume

213

First page number:

620

Last page number:

628

Abstract

Despite being recognized as an important part of particulate matter (PM) air pollution and health risk, bioaerosols have not been quantified as extensively as other PM components for establishing PM standards and management strategies. The challenge lies partly in the lack of practical measurement methods. This study evaluated a filter-based, direct-staining fluorescence microscopy (DS-FM) method that may be adapted to routine air quality monitoring for bioaerosol concentration and size distribution. Through testing with bioaerosol standards made of bacterial cells and fungal spores, the method is shown to have precision, accuracy, detection limit, and dynamic range suitable for most ambient environments. DS-FM was demonstrated with PM samples from an arid urban location in Las Vegas, Nevada during the spring allergy season... See full text for complete abstract.

Keywords

Primary bbiological aerosol particles; Automated particle counting; Aerosol size distribution; DNA stain; PM10; PMcoarse

Disciplines

Environmental Health | Environmental Microbiology and Microbial Ecology

Language

English

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