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Bioaerosol
 
 
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A bioaerosol is a biological aerosol
Aerosol

Technically, an aerosol is a suspension of fine solid particles or liquid droplets in a gas. Examples are smoke, oceanic haze, air pollution, smog and CS gas....
. These particles are very small and range in size from less than one micrometer (0.00004") to one hundred micrometers (0.004"). Bioaerosols react to air currents and move quickly or slowly depending on the environment. Bioaerosols are impacted by gravity but due to their size air density and air currents play a large role in their movement.
often contains tiny organisms such as fungi, bacteria
Bacteria

The Bacteria are a large group of unicellular microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria have a wide range of shapes, ranging from spheres to rods and spirals....
, mycotoxins and viruses.






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A bioaerosol is a biological aerosol
Aerosol

Technically, an aerosol is a suspension of fine solid particles or liquid droplets in a gas. Examples are smoke, oceanic haze, air pollution, smog and CS gas....
. These particles are very small and range in size from less than one micrometer (0.00004") to one hundred micrometers (0.004"). Bioaerosols react to air currents and move quickly or slowly depending on the environment. Bioaerosols are impacted by gravity but due to their size air density and air currents play a large role in their movement.

Background

Air often contains tiny organisms such as fungi, bacteria
Bacteria

The Bacteria are a large group of unicellular microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria have a wide range of shapes, ranging from spheres to rods and spirals....
, mycotoxins and viruses. None of these organisms live in the air but they are often attached to other small particles such as dried residues from water droplets, dust, soil or skin flakes. Groups of the small organisms clump up and enhance survival while airborn. Due to evaporation of water, bacterial cells usually die when they become airborn but under high humidity
Humidity

Humidity is the amount of water vapor in the air. In daily language the term "humidity" is normally taken to mean relative humidity. Relative humidity is defined as the ratio of the partial pressure of water vapor in a Air parcel of air to the saturated vapor pressure of water vapor at a prescribed temperature....
 conditions bioaerosol levels are increased. Fungal cells such as spores, molds and yeast
Yeast

Yeasts are eukaryote microorganisms classified in the Kingdom fungus, with about 1,500 species currently described; they dominate fungal diversity in the oceans....
 can be active at low humidity levels and high or low temperatures.

Collection

Many techniques are used to collect bioaerosols such as collection plates, electrostatic collectors and impactors, although some methods are experimental in nature. Another way to collect or detect bioaerosols is by using a mass spectrometer
Spectrometer

A spectrograph is an optical instrument used to measure properties of light over a specific portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, typically used in spectroscopic analysis to identify materials....
.

Sources

Common sources include soil
Soil

Soil is the naturally occurring, unconsolidated or loose covering on the Earth's surface. Soil is composed of particles of broken rock that have been altered by chemical and environmental processes including weathering and erosion....
, water, sewage
Sewage

Sewage is the mainly liquid waste containing some solids produced by humans which typically consists of washing water, feces, urine, laundry waste and other material which goes down Plumbing fixture from households and industry....
, Stachybotrys
Stachybotrys

Stachybotrys is a genus of molds, or asexually-reproducing, filamentous fungus. Closely related to the genus Memnoniella, most Stachybotrys species inhabit materials rich in cellulose....
 atra is a well known toxic mold which releases mycotoxins and has been blamed for numerous deaths, particularly several in Cleveland, Ohio. Bioaerosols can be a source of microbial pathogens, endotoxins, and other allergens (1).

See also

  • Mycotoxins
  • Aerosol
    Aerosol

    Technically, an aerosol is a suspension of fine solid particles or liquid droplets in a gas. Examples are smoke, oceanic haze, air pollution, smog and CS gas....
  • Indoor air quality
    Indoor air quality

    Indoor air quality is a term referring to the air quality within and around buildings and structures, especially as it relates to the health and comfort of building occupants....
  • Mold growth, assessment, and remediation
    Mold growth, assessment, and remediation

    This article is about mold growth in buildings, how to kill mold, and the more formal topics of assessment and remediation.Mold assessment and Mold remediation are techniques used in occupational health: mold assessment is the process of identifying the location and extent of the mold hazard in a structure, and mold remediation...
  • Mold health issues
  • Sick Building Syndrome
    Sick building syndrome

    Sick building syndrome is a combination of ailments associated with an individual's place of work or residence. A 1984 World Health Organization report into the syndrome suggested up to 30% of new and remodelled buildings worldwide may be linked to symptoms of SBS....


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