AIRBORNE MICROORGANISM COLLECTION BY A NEW ELECTROSTATIC PRECIPITATOR

摘要

Many aerobiological measurements and the protection of governmental/military establishments from bioterrorism require the development of new bioaerosol collectors that can be operated efficiently at low power. We have developed and evaluated a new bioaerosol sampler in which the microorganisms are collected by electrostatic means. An ionizer charges the incoming microorganisms, if they carry insufficient charge for efficient collection in the device. The microorganisms are collected on two square agar plates placed along the flow axis. Laboratory experiments have shown that bacterial cells and spores are generally collected more efficiently than inert particles. We attribute this difference to the natural negative charge contained in the cell membranes of microorganisms. The results of field measurements parallel those obtained through laboratory experiments.