Production and characterization of bioaerosols for model validation in spacecraft environment

This study aimed to evaluate the suitability of two bioaerosol generation systems(dry and wet generation) for the aerosolization of microorganisms isolated from the International Space Station, and to calibrate the produced bioaerosols to fulfill the requirements of computational fluid dynamics model(CFD) validation. Concentration, stability, size distribution, agglomeration of generated bioaerosol and deposition of bioaerosols were analyzed. In addition, the dispersion of non-viable particles in the air was studied.Experiments proved that wet generation from microbial suspensions could be used for the production of well-calibrated and stabile bioaerosols for model validation. For the simulation of the natural release of fungal spores, a dry generation method should be used. This study showed that the used CFD model simulated the spread of non-viable particles fairly well. The mathematical deposition model by Lai and Nazaroff could be used to estimate the deposition velocities of bioaerosols on surfaces, although it somewhat underestimated the measured deposition velocities.     

西安市不同天气下可培养微生物气溶胶浓度变化特征

为探明天气状况对可培养微生物气溶胶分布特性的影响,于2014年8月-2015年7月利用Anderson六级空气微生物采样器对西安市微生物气溶胶进行采样,通过培养法检测分析了可培养细菌和真菌气溶胶在1 a的月际与季节性浓度变化特征,重点研究了不同天气状况下气溶胶的浓度与粒径分布.结果表明:西安市可培养细菌和真菌气溶胶月均浓度均在10月最高,分别为（1 004.81±546.14）和（765.54±544.36）CFU/m3.可培养细菌和真菌气溶胶的季节平均浓度均在夏季最低,分别为（361.96±56.96）和（280.33±74.43）CFU/m3;不同天气条件下气溶胶的浓度变化为晴天 < 雨天 < 阴云天 < 霾天.可培养细菌气溶胶在晴天、阴云天、雨天和霾天粒径分布的峰值分别出现在3.3~4.7、4.7~7.0、3.3~4.7、3.3~4.7 μm区间上,表现为明显的单峰分布;而可培养真菌气溶胶的粒径分布在非霾天则无显著性差异（P>0.05）.不同天气状况下可呼吸微生物气溶胶均超过总微生物气溶胶的60%.各天气状况下可培养细菌气溶胶的几何中值直径大于真菌气溶胶.      

4种动物养殖场空气中抗生素耐药菌的生物多样性及群落结构

动物集约化养殖场可向空气环境释放大量微生物,包括抗生素耐药菌甚至是耐药致病菌,危害动物和工人健康并污染周边空气环境.针对以上问题,本研究以四环素和红霉素耐药菌为例,对动物养殖场空气颗粒物负载抗生素耐药菌的生物多样性以及群落结构展开研究.基于高通量测序技术,对比分析动物舍内与舍外颗粒物,以及粪便样品中抗生素耐药菌的生物学差异,并研究驱动以上差异的关键菌属.结果表明,整体上养殖场空气颗粒物负载红霉素耐药菌的生物多样性高于四环素耐药菌,舍内空气颗粒物负载生物的多样性高于粪便样品.细颗粒物和粗颗粒物负载抗生素耐药菌的生物多样性和群落结构均无显著差异.Actinobacteria是导致红霉素耐药菌和其他细菌群落差异的关键菌门之一,Staphylococcus是四环素耐药菌群区别于红霉素耐药菌和全部细菌菌群的关键菌属之一.群落结构研究结果显示,四环素和红霉素耐药菌的优势菌群和群落结构没有显著差异.但粪便和空气颗粒物负载生物的群落结构在属水平上差异显著,优势菌门也有所不同.本研究结果将为准确评估动物养殖场空气环境中抗生素耐药菌污染现状及其生态风险提供基础数据.     

SBR工艺城市污水处理厂微生物气溶胶逸散特征

在采用SBR工艺的某污水处理厂设置采样点,研究各污水处理工艺段微生物气溶胶的逸散特征.结果表明,各工艺段均有细菌气溶胶逸散,浓度为82～1 525 CFU·m~(-3),粗格栅、生化池和污泥脱水间为主要逸散源.各工艺段检测到的细菌气溶胶主要菌属为Cyanobacteria,其它丰度较高的菌属有Aeromonas、Peptostreptococcaceae、Moraxellaceae、Chroococcidiopsis、Sphingomonas、Arcobacter及Acinetobacter等,其中Aeromonas、Arcobacter、Acinetobacter及Sphingomonas为潜在致病菌.微生物气溶胶的浓度和丰度沿垂直方向和水平方向减少.适宜的温度和相对湿度利于微生物气溶胶在空气中保持活性(P 0. 01),风速则与微生物气溶胶的逸散呈负相关(P 0. 05).污水处理过程产生的微生物气溶胶的暴露风险较小(HQ 1),但是污染物的累积会增加人体的暴露风险.生物除臭反应器在处理臭味气体的同时还可以有效削减微生物气溶胶.     

梅雨期大学宿舍室内生物气溶胶浓度及粒径分布

大学宿舍室内生物气溶胶可通过空气传播,可能会危害学生身体健康.本研究调查了梅雨期大学宿舍室内生物气溶胶浓度和粒径分布特点,对其同空气颗粒物浓度、环境温度和湿度的Spearman相关性进行了研究,分析了学生活动对宿舍室内气溶胶的影响.结果表明,学生宿舍室内的细菌和真菌气溶胶平均浓度分别为(2 133±1 617)CFU·m~(-3)和(3 111±2 202)CFU·m~(-3),真菌气溶胶的浓度明显高于细菌.学生宿舍室内的PM1、PM_(2.5)、PM10与细菌气溶胶浓度呈负相关,与真菌气溶胶浓度呈显著负相关;PM_(2.5)与可吸入细菌气溶胶呈正相关,PM_(10)与可吸入真菌气溶胶呈正相关;环境温度与细菌和真菌气溶胶浓度呈正相关,环境相对湿度与细菌和真菌气溶胶浓度呈负相关.在下午,宿舍室内真菌气溶胶浓度显著增加,上午和下午生物气溶胶的粒径分布有差异.本研究结果将为评价高校学生宿舍室内空气质量提供基础数据.     

The use of ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) in disinfection of airborne bacteria

Contamination of indoor air by microbial pollutants has been increasingly recognized as a public health problem, and may be responsible for building-related illness (BRI) and sick-building syndrome (SBS). Bioaerosols such as fungi, bacteria, and viruses in indoor air can cause allergic and irritant responses, infectious diseases, respiratory problems, and hypersensitivity reactions. People sensitive to indoor environmental problems complain of a wide variety of symptoms ranging from headache, fatigue, nausea, sinus congestion, to eye, nose, and throat irritations.Although ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) with a predominant wavelength of 254 nm has been used for air disinfection for many years to minimize microbial numbers in the air, few quantitative data are available on the radiation susceptibilities of individual airborne microbes. There have been a number of UVGI studies documenting the effectiveness of UVGI for the control of microbes in controlled settings. Many of these studies documented the effectiveness of UVGI against airborne tuberculosis organisms.The studies described here used commercial type fan-powered shielded UVGI-containing fixtures to evaluate their effectiveness in air disinfection. Aerosolization tests were done in the contained environment of a negative pressure bioaerosol stainless steel testing chamber 0.75 m wide·3.7 m long. The chamber was designed so that microbes could be safely aerosolized and contained while traversing the chamber through the UVGI-containing fix-tures. Four commercial (Purair UV Germicidal Systems, Mount Vernon, N.Y.) fan-powered UVGI-containing fix-tures placed in the chamber were individually evaluated for their ability to disinfect individual bioaerosols of air-borne bacteria.Air samples were taken at the inlet and outlet of the UVGI-containing units positioned in the bioaerosol chamber, using Ace Glass all-glass impingers (AGI-30). Five bacterial species were individually aerosolized to evaluate their kill. The bacteria used to test all of the UVGI-containing units were vegetative cells of Escherichia coli, Micrococcus luteus, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Staphylococcus aureus, and endospores of Bacillus subtilis. Based upon the concentration of bioaerosols collected at the inlet and outlet of the fixtures tested, the total overall microbial kills for the four fixtures with the filters in place and the UVGI units on were more than 99% for all the airborne vegetative bacteria tested, and a mean of over 75% for the B. subtilis endospores.All of the fixtures were efficient in the kill of the test vegetative bacteria used, even the more UVGI-resistant M. luteus vegetative cells and endospores of B. subtilis. Units such as these may provide an economical way to supplement existing air cleaning procedures used in indoor environments, and to kill airborne bacteria effectively without human exposure to UV light.     

西安市秋冬季不同空气质量下可培养微生物气溶胶浓度和粒径分布

利用Anderson空气微生物采样器对西安市2014年9月~2015年1月间可培养微生物气溶胶进行采样、培养,分析不同空气质量下其浓度与粒径变化特征,并对其与颗粒污染物(PM_(2.5)、PM_(10))、气象参数(温度、相对湿度)和其它气态污染物(NO_2、SO_2、O_3)进行主成分+多元线性回归分析.结果显示,可培养细菌和真菌气溶胶浓度范围分别为97~1 909CFU·m~(-3),92~1 737 CFU·m~(-3).随空气污染程度加深,两种微生物气溶胶浓度均呈现增加趋势;细菌气溶胶粒径分布向粗颗粒偏移;而真菌气溶胶在低污染时呈正态分布,高污染时粒径峰值向细颗粒偏移.主成分分析结果显示,可培养微生物气溶胶主要与灰霾、太阳辐射和相对湿度有关.多元线性回归结果表明,细菌气溶胶与灰霾呈显著正相关(P0.05),与太阳辐射呈不显著负相关,与湿度呈不显著正相关;真菌气溶胶与灰霾、太阳辐射和相对湿度均呈不显著正相关.研究结果可以为评估微生物气溶胶所引起的环境与健康效应提供基础数据.     

西安市春季生物气溶胶的分布特征和健康影响

西安春季经常出现大量飞絮,易造成空气污染并引发居民哮喘等健康风险.采集西安市春季不同观测点(交通样点和校园样点)生物气溶胶、 PM_2.5和飞絮样品,通过恒温培养和高通量测序等方法研究可培养生物气溶胶的浓度变化、粒径分布,PM_2.5和飞絮携带的微生物的来源、群落结构和健康影响.结果表明,可培养细菌浓度在交通样点高于校园样点(P=0.027);交通样点可培养细菌浓度为真菌的2.7倍,而校园样点可培养真菌浓度高于细菌(1.4倍).可培养细菌和真菌日内最高浓度均出现在08:00;可培养细菌粒径呈双峰分布,真菌为单峰分布.土壤和植被是大气微生物的主要来源(占比85.9%),变形菌门(Proteobacteria)是飞絮和PM_2.5中共有的、丰度最高的菌门,在飞絮中占比达到91.3%(交通样点)和99.1%(校园样点);在PM_2.5样品中放线菌门(Actinobacteria)、厚壁菌门(Firmicutes)、拟杆菌门(Bacteroidetes)、蓝藻门(Cyanobacteria)和异常球菌-栖热菌门(D...     

Airborne bioaerosols and their impact on human health

Bioaerosols consist of aerosols originated biologically such as metabolites, toxins, or fragments of microorganisms that are present ubiquitously in the environment. International interests in bioaerosols have increased rapidly to broaden the pool of knowledge on their identification,quantification, distribution, and health impacts(e.g., infectious and respiratory diseases,allergies, and cancer). However, risk assessment of bioaerosols based on conventional culture methods has been hampered further by several factors such as:(1) the complexity of microorganisms or derivatives to be investigated;(2) the purpose, techniques, and locations of sampling; and(3) the lack of valid quantitative criteria(e.g., exposure standards and dose/effect relationships). Although exposure to some microbes is considered to be beneficial for health,more research is needed to properly assess their potential health hazards including inter-individual susceptibility, interactions with non-biological agents, and many proven/unproven health effects(e.g., atopy and atopic diseases).     

污水处理厂生物气溶胶抗生素抗性污染特征

为探究污水处理厂生物气溶胶抗生素抗性基因（ARGs）污染特征,在济南市某污水处理厂采用宏基因组测序技术对厂界内及周边生物气溶胶样本及污水或污泥样本进行分析.结果表明,相比于上风向,厂界内和下风向生物气溶胶具有更多的ARGs亚型种类数和更高的总相对丰度.厂界内与上风向生物气溶胶ARGs组成存在显著的差异性,差异度为47.57%;而厂界内与下风向生物气溶胶ARGs组成的差异性不显著,且差异度下降至33.98%.上风向背景空气和污水或污泥均是厂界内生物气溶胶ARGs的重要来源,两者总的源的贡献大于63.92%.共检测到43种ARGs亚型（8种ARGs主型）在至少一处污水处理单元极易负载于生物气溶胶颗粒逸出.本研究可为污水处理厂生物气溶胶抗生素抗性污染的风险评估和控制提供理论依据.