Development and Validation of a Simple Bioaerosol Collection Filter System Using a Conventional Vacuum Cleaner for Sampling

Abstract

Although numerous bioaerosol samplers for counting and identifying airborne microorganisms are available, the considerably high purchase and maintenance costs for the sampler often prevent broad monitoring campaigns for occupational or environmental surveillance of bioaerosols. We present here a newly developed simple adapter and filter system (TOP filter system) designed to collect bioaerosol particles from a defined air volume using conventional vacuum cleaners as air pumps. We characterized the physical properties of the system using air flow measurements and validated the biological performance. The culture-based detection capacities for airborne fungal species were compared to a standard impaction sampler (MAS-100 NT) under controlled conditions in a bioaerosol chamber (using Trichoderma spores as the test organism) as well as in the field. In the chamber, an overall equivalent detection capacity between all tested filters was recorded, although a significant underrepresentation of the TOP filter system for Trichoderma spores were seen in comparison to the MAS-100 NT. In a comparative field study ( n = 345), the system showed similar biological sampling efficiencies compared to the MAS-100 NT impactor, only the diversity of identified fungal communities was slightly lower on the filters. Thus, the system is suitable for large-scale environmental sampling operations where many samples have to be taken in parallel at a given time at distant locations. This system would allow endeavors such as antibiotics resistance monitoring or hygiene surveys in agricultural or occupational settings.