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. 2018 May 30;13(5):e0197783.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0197783. eCollection 2018.

Evaluation of micro-well collector for capture and analysis of aerosolized Bacillus subtilis spores

Jiayang He  1 , Nicola K Beck  2 , Alexandra L Kossik  2 , Jiawei Zhang  1 , Edmund Seto  2 , John Scott Meschke  2 , Igor Novosselov  1   2
Affiliations

Evaluation of micro-well collector for capture and analysis of aerosolized Bacillus subtilis spores

Jiayang He et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

Bioaerosol sampling and identification are vital for the assessment and control of airborne pathogens, allergens, and toxins. In-situ analysis of chemical and biological particulate matter can significantly reduce the costs associated with sample preservation, transport, and analysis. The analysis of conventional filters is challenging, due to dilute samples in large collection regions. A low-cost cartridge for collection and analysis of aerosols is developed for use in epidemiological studies and personal exposure assessments. The cartridge collects aerosol samples in a micro-well which reduces particles losses due to the bounce and does not require any coating. The confined particle collection area (dwell~1.4 mm) allows reducing the elution volume for subsequent analysis. The performance of the cartridge is validated in laboratory studies using aerosolized bacterial spores (Bacillus subtilis). Colony forming unit analysis is used for bacterial spore enumeration. Cartridge collection efficiency is evaluated by comparison with the reference filters and found to be consistent with tested flow rates. Sample recovery for the pipette elution is ~80%. Due to the high density of the collected sample, the cartridge is compatible with in-situ spectroscopic analysis and sample elution into the 10-20 μl liquid volume providing a significant increase in sample concentration for subsequent analysis.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1
(a) The photograph of the assembled μ-well aerosol collection cartridge and (b) the cartridge in a disassembled state.
Fig 2
Fig 2. The configuration of the aerosol chamber experiment.
Fig 3
Fig 3. The size distribution of airborne particles.
Fig 4
Fig 4. The measured pressure drop of the collection cartridge at different flow rates.
Fig 5
Fig 5. B. subtilis collection efficiencies in μ-well inertial impactors as a function of the collector flow rate.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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