This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by White, L. A. Articles by Naylor, R. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by White, L. A. Articles by Naylor, R. Agricola Articles by White, L. A. Articles by Naylor, R.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Appl Environ Microbiol. 1975 March; 29(3): 335-339
Copyright © 1975 American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Improved Large-Volume Sampler for the Collection of Bacterial Cells from Aerosol

Defence Research Establishment Suffield, Ralston, Alberta TOJ 2NO, Canada

ABSTRACT

A modified large-volume sampler was demonstrated to be an efficient device for the collection of mono-disperse aerosols of rhodamine B and poly-disperse aerosols of bacterial cells. Absolute efficiency for collection of rhodamine B varied from 100% with 5-µm particles to about 70% with 0.5-µm particles. The sampler concentrated the particles from 950 liters of air into a flow of between 1 and 2 ml of collecting fluid per min. Spores of Bacillus subtilis var. niger were collected at an efficiency of about 82% compared to the collection in the standard AGI-30 sampler. In the most desirable collecting fluids tested, aerosolized cells of Serratia marcescens, Escherichia coli, and Aerobacter aerogenes were collected at comparative efficiencies of approximately 90, 80, and 90%, respectively. The modified sampler has practical application in the study of aerosol transmission of respiratory pathogens.