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Title: Sampling microbial aerosols. Summary report, 1 October 1985-30 September 1986

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:5893423

Collecting microbial aerosols is not substantially different from collecting any other airborne particulates. After collection, however, the processing of the sample is all important. These particles have life and the capacity to grow, multiply, and as parasites - cause undesirable effects in the multiplicity of hosts. No chemical or physical measurement(s) available today can assess all these characteristics. Even detection of their presence often requires the bio-amplification provided by the growth characteristics. Both indoor and outdoor air are seas of microbial particles. Depending on local conditions, concentrations of viable particles will range from a few per ft. to many thousands or even millions. Particles are nearly indistinguishable so that detecting a specific viable and infective type is a little like selecting a specific raindrop in a rainstorm. Only by careful choice of growth and assay procedures, can the microbes of interest be selected out of the collectate.

Research Organization:
Naval Biosciences Lab., Oakland, CA (USA)
OSTI ID:
5893423
Report Number(s):
AD-A-184373/9/XAB; UC-NBL-977
Resource Relation:
Other Information: Pub. in Occupational Respiratory Diseases, 83-87(Sep 1986)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English