Investigating the effect of several factors on concentrations of bioaerosols in a well-ventilated hospital environment

Mousavi, Marzieh Sadat; Hadei, Mostafa; Majlesi, Monireh; Hopke, Philip K.; Yarahmadi, Maryam; Emam, Baharan; Kermani, Majid; Shahsavani, Abbas

doi:10.1007/s10661-019-7559-0

Cited by 23 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…It is important to reduce and control the concentrations of harmful microorganisms in the air, to ensure good air quality. Several studies [17][18][19] have indicated that an important aspect in the work environment is the efficiency of the ventilation system and suggested associations among sources, risk factors, and transmission of microorganisms in the hospital and that air cleaning could decrease the concentrations.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental Factors and Ventilation Affect Concentrations of Microorganisms in Hospital Wards of Southern Thailand

Onmek

Kongcharoen

Singtong

et al. 2020

Journal of Environmental and Public Health

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Hospitals tend to have high density of occupancy. Poor indoor environmental quality in hospital buildings can exacerbate the health problems of patients and also harm visitors and staff. This study investigated the environmental characteristics and ventilation affecting the concentration of microorganisms in multiple-bed hospital wards. The measurements were accomplished by using a biosampler and an open plate method at four wards, different positions of electric fans, and different times. Data were analyzed by t-test and MANOVA. The results revealed that the concentrations of airborne bacteria were higher than the concentrations of fungi. There were significant differences in the concentrations of bacteria and fungi between sampling times and between hospital wards (p<0.05), while no difference was observed by positions of electric fans. Correlations between the concentrations and other environmental parameters indicate that temperature, number of occupants, and humidity were physical factors associated with the concentrations of microorganisms. In addition, mostly, Gram-positive bacteria were observed. This indicates the conditions in buildings in the tropical climate, and regular housekeeping of all room areas is needed to prevent the growth of airborne contaminants and the related risks to patients, visitors, and staff.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental Factors and Ventilation Affect Concentrations of Microorganisms in Hospital Wards of Southern Thailand

Onmek

Kongcharoen

Singtong

et al. 2020

Journal of Environmental and Public Health

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“…In hospital environments, various factors such as temperature, relative humidity, hospital building design, ventilation system, and indoor population density and disinfection methods can affect the concentration of air pollutants (Mousavi et al 2019). In this study, a total of 262 samples of bacteria and fungi from 10 hospital wards were examined.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Type and Density of Bacterial and Fungal Bioaerosols and Particles in Inside and Outside of Hospital: Modeling of Dispersion and Antibiotic Resistance of Bacterial Bioaerosols

Yousefzadeh

Maleki

et al. 2021

Preprint

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The study of loading rate of microorganisms in the space of hospital inside and outside to evaluate their impacts on physical health of patients and staff, as well as to find out the source of possible infections and allergies stemming from the presence of bioaerosols is of great importance. In total, 262 bacterial and fungal samples were collected from the air of the wards of Tohid Hospital, Sanandaj, Iran. Also, suspended particles were measured by Particle Mass Counter (model: TES-5200). Parameter such as relative humidity and temperature were recorded by using TES-5200 device. To identify bacteria, some biochemical and molecular tests were conducted. And, for the identification of fungi, microscopic and macroscopic characteristics were used. The highest and lowest densities of the bioaerosols were observed in lung and operating wards (336.67 and 15.25 CFU/m3). Moreover, the highest and least concentrations of particles were seen in the emergency and operating wards, respectively. The most common fungi isolated from the hospital air were Penicillium (24.7%), Cladosporium (23. 4%), Aspergillus niger (13.3%) and Aspergillus Flavus (11.4%). Furthermore, the highest concentration of the isolated bacterium was Staphylococcus hemolyticus (31.84%). And, the bacteria had the most resistance to antibiotic gentamicin.The general average of air pollution of the hospital to bioaerosols in quantitative terms was higher than that suggested by international organizations. Considering the high concentration of bioaerosols and particles in the hospital studied, provision of optimal conditions (like temperature, humidity, suitable ventilation and intelligent air conditioning system) and imposing a restriction in the entrance of the wards can be utilized to reduce the amount of pollution.

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“…The average concentrations of bacteria and fungi were 371 and 253 CFU/m 3 , respectively, which were similar to values previously reported in Korea [ 20 , 21 , 22 ]. In GH-C, measurements were taken in the CSR, a department that sterilizes and stores medical supplies; thus, GH-C showed a significantly lower bioaerosol concentration compared with other hospital environments because the HEPA filters in the HVAC system effectively reduced the concentration of biological particles in the air [ 23 ]. Similarly, particle counts in all size categories were significantly lower in GH-C compared with the other sampling sites.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prediction Model for Airborne Microorganisms Using Particle Number Concentration as Surrogate Markers in Hospital Environment

Seo

Jeon

Choi

et al. 2020

IJERPH

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Indoor microbiological air quality, including airborne bacteria and fungi, is associated with hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) and emerging as an environmental issue in hospital environment. Many studies have been carried out based on culture-based methods to evaluate bioaerosol level. However, conventional biomonitoring requires laborious process and specialists, and cannot provide data quickly. In order to assess the concentration of bioaerosol in real-time, particles were subdivided according to the aerodynamic diameter for surrogate measurement. Particle number concentration (PNC) and meteorological conditions selected by analyzing the correlation with bioaerosol were included in the prediction model, and the forecast accuracy of each model was evaluated by the mean absolute percentage error (MAPE). The prediction model for airborne bacteria demonstrated highly accurate prediction (R2 = 0.804, MAPE = 8.5%) from PNC1-3, PNC3-5, and PNC5-10 as independent variables. Meanwhile, the fungal prediction model showed reasonable, but weak, prediction results (R2 = 0.489, MAPE = 42.5%) with PNC3-5, PNC5-10, PNC > 10, and relative humidity. As a result of external verification, even when the model was applied in a similar hospital environment, the bioaerosol concentration could be sufficiently predicted. The prediction model constructed in this study can be used as a pre-assessment method for monitoring microbial contamination in indoor environments.

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Investigating the effect of several factors on concentrations of bioaerosols in a well-ventilated hospital environment

Cited by 23 publications

References 29 publications

Environmental Factors and Ventilation Affect Concentrations of Microorganisms in Hospital Wards of Southern Thailand

Environmental Factors and Ventilation Affect Concentrations of Microorganisms in Hospital Wards of Southern Thailand

Type and Density of Bacterial and Fungal Bioaerosols and Particles in Inside and Outside of Hospital: Modeling of Dispersion and Antibiotic Resistance of Bacterial Bioaerosols

Prediction Model for Airborne Microorganisms Using Particle Number Concentration as Surrogate Markers in Hospital Environment

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