Exploring temporal patterns of bacterial and fungal DNA accumulation on a ventilation system filter for a Singapore university library.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Ventilation system filters process recirculated indoor air along with outdoor air. This function inspires the idea of using the filter as an indoor bioaerosol sampler. While promising, there remains a need to investigate several factors that could limit the accuracy of such a sampling approach. Among the important factors are the dynamics of microbial assemblages on filter surfaces over time and the differential influence of outdoor versus recirculated indoor air.

Methods

This study collected ventilation system filter samples from an air handling unit on a regular schedule over a 21-week period and analyzed the accumulation patterns of biological particles on the filter both quantitatively (using fluorometry and qPCR) and in terms of microbial diversity (using 1

SUBMITTER: Luhung I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6051664 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature