Use of surrogate markers of biological agents in air and settled dust samples to evaluate a water-damaged hospital

Rao, Carol Y.; Cox‐Ganser, Jean M.; Chew, Ginger L.; Doekes, Gert; White, Sandra

doi:10.1111/j.1600-0668.2005.00348.x

Cited by 39 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…Five of the residences that we sampled, all in the moderately to heavily water-damaged areas, had endotoxin concentrations greater than 45 EU/m 3 . Glucans are a component of fungal cell walls and have been used as an indicator of total fungal biomass (4,15). We found that glucan levels correlated significantly with airborne spore counts but not culturable fungal levels, possibly because measures of culturable fungi underestimate the airborne fungal load (10).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 73%

Characterization of Airborne Molds, Endotoxins, and Glucans in Homes in New Orleans after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita

Rao

Riggs

Chew

et al. 2007

Appl Environ Microbiol

133

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 73%

Characterization of Airborne Molds, Endotoxins, and Glucans in Homes in New Orleans after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita

Rao

Riggs

Chew

et al. 2007

Appl Environ Microbiol

133

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“…On the surfaces of ventilation ducts, dust loads can range from less than 1 g/m 2 to loads in excess of 100 g/m 2 (Nielson et al 1990;Laatikainen et al 1991;Pasanen et al 1992;EPA 1996;Fortmann et al 1997;Möritz et al 2001;Kolari et al 2005;Lavoie et al 2011). On hard flooring, such as vinyl, linoleum, and hardwood, dust loading is typically in the range of 0.1-1 g/m 2 , although lighter and heavier dust loads are commonly reported (Adgate et al 1995;Rao et al 2005;Johnson et al 2009;Hoh et al 2012). The wide range of dust loads suggests that there can exist different types of particle deposits on indoor surfaces, including both monolayer and multilayer deposits (Tovey and Ferro 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Monolayer and Multilayer Particle Deposits on Hard Surfaces: Literature Review and Implications for Particle Resuspension in the Indoor Environment

Boor

Siegel

Novoselac

2013

Aerosol Science and Technology

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Particle deposits on indoor surfaces can be as complex and diverse as the indoor environments in which they exist. Dust loading can range over several orders of magnitude, suggesting the existence of different types of particle deposits. These deposits can be broadly classified as either a monolayer, in which particles are sparsely deposited on a surface, or a multilayer, in which particles are deposited on top of one another and there is particle-toparticle adhesion and interaction. Particles within these diverse structures of settled indoor dust can become airborne through a process known as resuspension, which can occur due to airflow in ventilation ducts or human activity indoors. The dust loading and deposit structure on an indoor surface may have important implications for resuspension in the indoor environment. This literature review provides a summary of dust loads found on indoor surfaces in field studies and classifies each dust load as either a monolayer or multilayer particle deposit. The article highlights the unique attributes associated with resuspension from both types of particle deposits by summarizing key findings of the experimental resuspension literature. The fundamental differences in the resuspension process between monolayer and multilayer deposits suggest that resuspension may vary considerably among the broad spectrum of dust loads found on indoor surfaces.

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“…Alternative approaches to characterizing fungal fragments have used the detection of fungal biomarkers, including (1¡3)-beta-D-glucans (10,19,21,23,25,29), N-acetyl-glucosaminase (23), fungal antigens (7), and mycotoxins (26,27), in the submicronic particle fractions (21,22,25,30,31). Some of these studies were confounded by imperfect size separation of the systems utilized since the presence of larger particles such as spores has been demonstrated in the assumed submicronic fraction (10,23,29).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…were subjected to air jets under controlled conditions (5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15). These particles have been suggested to be fungal fragments and important sources of allergens (16)(17)(18), antigens (7), (1¡3)-beta-D-glucans (19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25), and mycotoxins (26,27). Exposure to fungal submicronic particles may therefore provide an explanation for health effects observed in moldy indoor environments (28).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Submicronic Fungal Bioaerosols: High-Resolution Microscopic Characterization and Quantification

Afanou

Straumfors

Skogstad

et al. 2014

Appl Environ Microbiol

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dSubmicronic particles released from fungal cultures have been suggested to be additional sources of personal exposure in moldcontaminated buildings. In vitro generation of these particles has been studied with particle counters, eventually supplemented by autofluorescence, that recognize fragments by size and discriminate biotic from abiotic particles. However, the fungal origin of submicronic particles remains unclear. In this study, submicronic fungal particles derived from Aspergillus fumigatus, A. versicolor, and Penicillium chrysogenum cultures grown on agar and gypsum board were aerosolized and enumerated using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). A novel bioaerosol generator and a fungal spores source strength tester were compared at 12 and 20 liters min ؊1 airflow. The overall median numbers of aerosolized submicronic particles were 2 ؋ 10 5 cm ؊2 , 2.6 ؋ 10 3 cm ؊2 , and 0.9 ؋ 10 3 cm ؊2 for A. fumigatus, A. versicolor, and P. chrysogenum, respectively. A. fumigatus released significantly (P < 0.001) more particles than A. versicolor and P. chrysogenum. The ratios of submicronic fragments to larger particles, regardless of media type, were 1:3, 5:1, and 1:2 for A. fumigatus, A. versicolor, and P. chrysogenum, respectively. Spore fragments identified by the presence of rodlets amounted to 13%, 2%, and 0% of the submicronic particles released from A. fumigatus, A. versicolor, and P. chrysogenum, respectively. Submicronic particles with and without rodlets were also aerosolized from cultures grown on cellophane-covered media, indirectly confirming their fungal origin. Both hyphae and conidia could fragment into submicronic particles and aerosolize in vitro. These findings further highlight the potential contribution of fungal fragments to personal fungal exposure.

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Use of surrogate markers of biological agents in air and settled dust samples to evaluate a water-damaged hospital

Abstract: Detection and quantification of nonculture-based microbiological markers and/or agents of disease may be useful methods to assess microbial contamination and to more accurately evaluate microbial exposures in the indoor environment for exposure-response studies.

Cited by 39 publications

References 41 publications

Characterization of Airborne Molds, Endotoxins, and Glucans in Homes in New Orleans after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita

Characterization of Airborne Molds, Endotoxins, and Glucans in Homes in New Orleans after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita

Monolayer and Multilayer Particle Deposits on Hard Surfaces: Literature Review and Implications for Particle Resuspension in the Indoor Environment

Submicronic Fungal Bioaerosols: High-Resolution Microscopic Characterization and Quantification

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