Bioaerosol levels of gram-negative bacteria at specific locations within phases of municipal waste water treatment.

摘要

Air was sampled at a municipal waste water treatment facility using an Anderson two-stage cascade impactor to conduct active, integrated, area sampling for both respirable and non-respirable, aerobic, enteric Gram-negative bacteria (GNB). Bioaerosol particulates were collected on MacConkey agar and on Campylobacter agar, incubated, and analyzed for number of colony forming units (cfu). Sampling was conducted at nine locations on three days (N = 3). Sampling locations were chosen as representative of phases within waste water treatment process and two background locations. Nonparametric statistical analysis indicated that there was no statistical difference between the levels of mean concentration of total respirable and nonrespirable GNB (cfu/m 3) at treatment phase locations and the background concentration levels, or among the specific treatment phase locations.