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Article
Relationship Between Indoor and Outdoor Bioaerosols Collected With a Button Inhalable Aerosol Sampler in Urban Homes
Indoor Air (2006)
  • Taekhee Lee, University of Cincinnati
  • Sergey A. Grinshpun, University of Cincinnati
  • Dainius Martuzevicius, University of Cincinnati
  • Atin Adhikari, Georgia Southern University
  • Carlos M. Crawford, University of Cincinnati
  • Junxiang Luo, University of Cincinnati
  • Tiina Reponen, University of Cincinnati
Abstract
This field study investigated the relationship between indoor and out-door concentrations of airborne actinomycetes, fungal spores, and pollen. Air samples were collected for 24 h with a button inhalable aerosol sampler inside and outside of six single-family homes located in the Cincinnati area (overall, 15 pairs of samples were taken in each home). The measurements were conducted during three seasons – spring and fall 2004, and winter 2005. The concentration of culturable actinomycetes was mostly below the detection limit. The median indoor/outdoor ratio (I/O) for actinomycetes was the highest: 2.857. The indoor of fungal and pollen concentrations followed the outdoor concentrations while indoor levels were mostly lower than the outdoor ones. The I/O ratio of total fungal spores (median ¼ 0.345) in six homes was greater than that of pollen grains (median ¼ 0.025). The low I/O ratios obtained for pollen during the peak ambient pollination season (spring) suggest that only a small fraction penetrated from outdoor to indoor environment. This is attributed to the larger size of pollen grains. Higher indoor concentration levels and variability in the I/O ratio observed for airborne fungi may be associated with indoor sources and/or higher outdoor-to-indoor penetration of fungal spores compared to pollen grains.
Keywords
  • Bioaerosol,
  • Exposure,
  • Indoor,
  • Outdoor,
  • Bacteria,
  • Fungal spore,
  • Pollen
Publication Date
February, 2006
DOI
10.1111/j.1600-0668.2005.00396.x
Citation Information
Taekhee Lee, Sergey A. Grinshpun, Dainius Martuzevicius, Atin Adhikari, et al.. "Relationship Between Indoor and Outdoor Bioaerosols Collected With a Button Inhalable Aerosol Sampler in Urban Homes" Indoor Air Vol. 16 Iss. 1 (2006) p. 37 - 47 ISSN: 1600-0668
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/atin_adhikari/115/