Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 14, 2026

Microbial Control and Monitoring Strategies for Cleanroom Environments and Cellular Therapies
Published on: March 17, 2023
Recovery of microorganisms shed by humans into a sterilized environment
G W Sciple1, D K Riemensnider, C A Schleyer
1Biophysics Section, Epidemiology Program, National Communicable Disease Center, Public Health Service, Atlanta, Georgia 30333.
Abstract:
An appartus and technique for quantitative comparison of the aerobic bacterial flora disseminated by human subjects has been developed. Dissemination from three healthy subjects was studied weekly for 3 weeks. Viable particles recovered ranged from 100,000 for one subject during a 30-min period to 620,000 for another subject during a 10-min period. One of the three subjects showed appreciably less variation in numbers of organisms shed than did the other two subjects. When the subjects were examined on consecutive days while wearing sterilized clothing, total particles recovered were reduced and variations in recoveries from run to run were slightly lessened. Three consistent nasal carriers of S. aureus were measured for dissemination. No viable Staphylococcus aureus was recovered from two of the carriers. However, 460,000 typable S. aureus particles were recovered during a 60-min period from the third carrier.
Related Concept Videos
Key Techniques in Microbiology
Need for Obtaining Pure Cultures
Techniques for Isolation of Pure Cultures
Cleaning, Sterilization, and Disinfection
Cleaning
The cleaning process usually involves using water with detergents or enzymatic cleaner and removing foreign material from objects and surfaces, including organic material such as body fluids or inorganic material like soil. Cleaning is performed before high-level disinfection and sterilization because foreign materials on the cover of the devices interfere with process...
Methods for Controlling Microbial Growth
iChip
