Development of a Highly Efficient Personal Sampler to collect Viable Bioaerosols

描述（由申请人提供）：近年来，在工作场所暴露于生物气溶胶已成为一个重大问题。能够准确评估这些潜在的健康风险至关重要。此外，由于每个人的反应不同，有必要在个人的基础上进行这种评估。工作场所的生物气溶胶包括细菌、真菌、病毒、微生物毒素和各种过敏原。目前有许多能够收集生物气溶胶的设备，但许多都不是为个人使用而设计的。此外，大多数现有的设备赋予高度的生物应激，导致生存能力的重大损失。保存活性对于准确的接触评估至关重要，因为活性微生物对健康构成更大的风险。这项建议有四个目标：(1)设计并建造一个包含再循环液体旋风收集介质的个人生物气溶胶采样器，(2)在气溶胶风洞中测试所提出的个人采样器的采样效率，以测试吸入效率，(3)使用模型生物气溶胶评估采样器，重点评估采样对微生物活力的影响，以及(4)在风洞中评估放置在人体翻领上的采样器在不同风向下的效果。相关性：这项研究将导致一种独特的，高效的个人生物气溶胶采样器的开发，能够收集可吸入的参与质量并保持微生物的活力。这种新设备不仅在职业环境中有益，而且在高风险领域也有潜力，比如在任何可能的生物攻击之后。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Exposures to bioaerosols in the workplace have become a significant issue in recent years. It is essential to be able to accurately assess these potential health risks. Furthermore, because each person will react differently, it is necessary to perform such assessments on an individual basis. Workplace bioaerosols include bacteria, fungi, viruses, microbial toxins and various allergens. Numerous devices exist that are capable of collecting bioaerosols, but many are not designed for personal use. Additionally, the majority of existing devices confer a high degree of biological stress resulting in a significant loss in viability. Preservation of viability is crucial for accurate exposure assessments in that viable microorganisms pose a greater health risk. This proposal has four objectives: (1) to design and construct a personal bioaerosol sampler incorporating a re-circulating liquid cyclone collection medium, (2) to test the sampling efficiency of the proposed personal sampler in an aerosol wind tunnel for aspiration efficiency, (3) to evaluate the sampler using model bioaerosols with a focus on the effects of sampling on microbial viability, and (4) to evaluate the sampler placed on the lapel of a mannequin at different wind directions in a wind tunnel. Relevance: This research will lead to the development of a unique, highly efficient personal bioaerosol sampler capable of collecting the inhalable participate mass and retaining microbial viability. The new device will not only be beneficial in occupational settings, but may also have future potential in high risk areas such as those following any possible biological attack.