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THE MEASUREMENT OF AMBIENT BIOAEROSOL EXPOSURE
Citation:
MENETREZ, M. Y., K. K. FOARDE, R. K. ESCH, T. R. DEAN, D. A. BETANCOURT, S. A. MOORE, E. R. SVENDSEN, AND K. YEATTS. THE MEASUREMENT OF AMBIENT BIOAEROSOL EXPOSURE . AEROSOL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY. Taylor & Francis, Inc., Philadelphia, PA, 41(9):884-893, (2007).
Impact/Purpose:
To inform the public
Description:
A pilot study of moderate to severe pediatric asthma was initiated in 2003, entitled the North Carolina Asthma, Childhood and Environmental Studies. The study investigated the health effects of both PM10 (<10 µm in aerodynamic diameter) and PM2.5 (<2.5 µm in aerodynamic diameter) fractions of particulate matter (PM), specifically bioaerosols in evaluating total long term personal exposure effects on asthmatic children and adults. These airborne bioaerosols can induce irritational, allergic, infectious, and chemical response in exposed individuals and was the focus of clinical epidemiological investigation conducted by other members of the collaborative research team. Ambient samples of PM2.5 and PM10 were analyzed for mold, endotoxins and protein. PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations of these bioaerosols were reported as a function of PM mass and volume of air sampled. These results indicate that higher concentrations of endotoxins were present in PM10 than were present in PM2.5 ambient bioaerosols.
