This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Edmonds, J. M.
Right arrow Articles by Emanuel, P. A.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Edmonds, J. M.
Right arrow Articles by Emanuel, P. A.
Agricola
Right arrow Articles by Edmonds, J. M.
Right arrow Articles by Emanuel, P. A.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, January 2009, p. 39-44, Vol. 75, No. 1
0099-2240/09/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AEM.01563-08
Copyright © 2009, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Surface Sampling of Spores in Dry-Deposition Aerosols{triangledown}

Jason M. Edmonds,* Patricia J. Collett, Erica R. Valdes, Evan W. Skowronski, Gregory J. Pellar, and Peter A. Emanuel

Edgewood Chemical Biological Center, U.S. Army, Department of Defense, 5183 Blackhawk Road, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland 21010

Received 9 July 2008/ Accepted 24 October 2008

The ability to reliably and reproducibly sample surfaces contaminated with a biological agent is a critical step in measuring the extent of contamination and determining if decontamination steps have been successful. The recovery operations following the 2001 attacks with Bacillus anthracis spores were complicated by the fact that no standard sample collection format or decontamination procedures were established. Recovery efficiencies traditionally have been calculated based upon biological agents which were applied to test surfaces in a liquid format and then allowed to dry prior to sampling tests, which may not be best suited for a real-world event with aerosolized biological agents. In order to ascertain if differences existed between air-dried liquid deposition and biological spores which were allowed to settle on a surface in a dried format, a study was undertaken to determine if differences existed in surface sampling recovery efficiencies for four representative surfaces. Studies were then undertaken to compare sampling efficiencies between liquid spore deposition and aerosolized spores which were allowed to gradually settle under gravity on four different test coupon types. Tests with both types of deposition compared efficiencies of four unique swabbing materials applied to four surfaces with various surface properties. Our studies demonstrate that recovery of liquid-deposited spores differs significantly from recovery of dry aerosol-deposited spores in most instances. Whether the recovery of liquid-deposited spores is overexaggerated or underrepresented with respect to that of aerosol-deposited spores depends upon the surface material being tested.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Edgewood Chemical Biological Center, U.S. Army, Department of Defense, 5183 Blackhawk Road, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD 21010. Phone: (410) 436-7348. Fax: (410) 436-2081. E-mail: jason.edmonds1{at}us.army.mil

{triangledown} Published ahead of print on 7 November 2008.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, January 2009, p. 39-44, Vol. 75, No. 1
0099-2240/09/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AEM.01563-08
Copyright © 2009, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.





Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology.   For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»