Collection efficiency of liquid-based samplers for fungi in indoor air

Area of Science:

• Environmental microbiology
• Air quality monitoring
• Aerosol science

Background:

• Fungal aerosols pose health risks and require efficient sampling methods.
• Accurate quantification of airborne fungi is crucial for exposure assessment.
• Existing sampling devices vary in their collection efficiency (CE).

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the collection efficiency (CE) of the BioSampler and Coriolis sampler for fungal aerosols.
• To evaluate the impact of different collection liquids, including phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) with and without surfactants and antifoam agents, on CE.
• To identify optimal sampling conditions for accurate fungal aerosol monitoring.

Main Methods:

• Simultaneous sampling of fungal aerosols using the BioSampler, Coriolis sampler, and an agar impactor (BioStage) at diverse locations.
• Preparation of collection liquids: PBS with or without Tween-20, Tween-80, or Triton X-100, and an antifoam agent.
• Calculation of CE by dividing fungal concentrations from liquid samplers by those from the BioStage.

Main Results:

• The BioSampler exhibited significantly higher CE than the Coriolis sampler (P=0.0001).
• PBS supplemented with surfactants (Tween-20, Tween-80, Triton X-100) showed significantly better fungal collection than PBS alone (P<0.0001).
• Antifoam agents did not influence CE (P=0.8), while sampling location was a significant factor (P=0.006).

Conclusions:

• The BioSampler is more effective for fungal aerosol collection than the Coriolis sampler.
• Surfactant-supplemented PBS enhances the collection efficiency of liquid-based samplers.
• The BioSampler with surfactant-supplemented PBS (e.g., Triton X-100) is recommended for efficient and reliable fungal aerosol monitoring.