Elsevier

Journal of Aerosol Science

Volume 115, January 2018, Pages 133-145
Journal of Aerosol Science

Comparing the performance of 3 bioaerosol samplers for influenza virus

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaerosci.2017.08.007Get rights and content

Highlights

  • A 5 mL SKC BioSampler®, gelatin filter, and glass fiber filter were compared in a laboratory.

  • The physical collection and influenza A viral recovery efficiencies were examined.

  • The glass fiber filter exhibited 100% physical collection efficiency for all sizes.

  • The SKC BioSampler® exhibited the highest virus collection efficiency (up to 5%).

  • All samplers collected only a small fraction of the total atomized viruses.

Abstract

Respiratory viral diseases can be spread when a virus-containing particle (droplet) from one individual is aerosolized and subsequently comes into either direct or indirect contact with another individual. Increasing numbers of studies are examining the occupational risk to healthcare workers due to proximity to patients. Selecting the appropriate air sampling method is a critical factor in assuring the analytical performance characteristics of a clinical study. The objective of this study was to compare the physical collection efficiency and virus collection efficiency of a 5 mL compact SKC BioSampler®, a gelatin filter, and a glass fiber filter, in a laboratory setting. The gelatin filter and the glass fiber filter were housed in a home-made filter holder. Submersion (with vortexing and subsequent centrifugation) was used for the gelatin and glass fiber filters. Swabbing method was also tested to retrieve the viruses from the glass fiber filter. Experiments were conducted using the H1N1 influenza A virus A/Puerto Rico/8/1934 (IAV-PR8), and viral recovery was determined using culture and commercial real-time-PCR (BioFire and Xpert). An atomizer was used to aerosolize a solution of influenza virus in PBS for measurement, and two Scanning Mobility Particle Sizers were used to determine particle size distributions. The SKC BioSampler demonstrated a U-shaped physical collection efficiency, lowest for particles around 30–50 nm, and highest at 10 nm and 300–350 nm within the size range examined. The physical collection efficiency of the gelatin filter was strongly influenced by air flow and time: a stable collection across all particle sizes was only observed at 2 L/min for the 9 min sampling time, otherwise, degradation of the filter was observed. The glass fiber filter demonstrated the highest physical collection efficiency (100% for all sizes) of all tested samplers, however, its overall virus recovery efficiency fared the worst (too low to quantify). The highest viral collection efficiencies for the SKC BioSampler and gelatin filter were 5% and 1.5%, respectively. Overall, the SKC BioSampler outperformed the filters. It is important to consider the total concentration of viruses entering the sampler when interpreting the results.

Keywords

SKC BioSampler®
Gelatin filter
Glass fiber filter
Physical collection efficiency
Virus collection efficiency

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Jiayu Li finished her BS in Environmental Engineering from Tsinghua University in 2014. She is now a PhD student in the Department of Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineeirng at Washington University in St. Louis. Her research interests include sensor development and aerosol field measurement.

Anna Levey finished her PhD in Atmospheric Sciences from The University of Manchester in 2010. She is now a Research Scientist at the Department of Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis. Her research interests include urban aerosol sampling, environmental and occupational health, and epidemiology.

Yang Wang finished his BS in Thermal Engineering from Tsinghua University in 2012. He is now a PhD student in the Department of Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineeirng at Washington University in St. Louis. His research interests include nanoparticle flame synthesis, particle formation mechanisms, and aerosol instrumentation.

Caroline O’Neil earned a MA from the University of Missouri in 2006 and a MPH from St. Louis University in 2008. She is employed as a research coordinator for the Infectious Diseases division at Washington University School of Medicine. She has worked on projects focusing on aerosol generation during healthcare procedures, respiratory viruses in long term care settings, central-line associated bloodstream infection, ventilator-associated pneumonia, accidental falls among hospital patients, hospital readmissions, surgical site infections, and infections in outpatient hemodialysis patients.

Meghan A. Wallace received her Bachelors of Science in Clinical Laboratory Science at St. Louis University. She continued on to work at St. Louis Children's Hospital in the microbiology laboratory. She currently conducts research in the laboratory of Dr. Carey-Ann Burnham in the Pathology department at Washington University in St. Louis.

Carey-Ann D. Burnham PhD, D(ABMM) is an Associate Professor of Pathology & Immunology, Molecular Microbiology, and Pediatrics at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, MO. She is also the Medical Director of Clinical Microbiology for Barnes Jewish Hospital. Burnham is the Program Director for the Medical and Public Health Microbiology Fellowship at Washington University, the Co-Editor of Medical Microbiology Question of the Day, and the Section Editor for "The Brief Case" for the Journal of Clinical Microbiology.

Adrianus CM Boon earned his Ph.D. in 2003 from The Erasmus University in The Netherlands. He is now an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. His research interests are influenza virology and viral pathogenesis.

Hilary Babcock is an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Infectious Diseases division at Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis. She received her medical degree from University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas in 1994 and completed a Master’s degree in Public Health from St Louis University in 2006. She is the Medical Director for the Infection Prevention and Epidemiology Consortium of BJC HealthCare, a multi-hospital system in St Louis, and also the Medical Director for Occupational Health for Infectious Diseases for Barnes-Jewish Hospital and St Louis Children’s Hospitals. Her research interests include healthcare associated infections, transmission of pathogens in healthcare settings and protection of healthcare personnel.

Pratim Biswas received his Ph. D. in 1985 from California Institute of Technology. He is now the Lucy and Stanley Lopata Professor, Chair of the Department of Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering, and also the Director of the McDonnell Academy Global Energy and Environment Partnership (MAGEEP) at Washington University in St. Louis. His research interests include aerosol science and engineering, air quality engineering, environmentally benign energy production, and thermal sciences.

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These authors contributed equally to this work.

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