Effectiveness of HVAC Duct Cleaning Procedures in Improving Indoor Air Quality

Indoor air quality has become one of the most seriousenvironmental concerns as an average person spends about 22 hrindoors on a daily basis. The study reported in this article, wasconducted to determine the effectiveness of three commercialHVAC (Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning) duct cleaning processes in reducing the level of airborne particulate matterand viable bioaerosols. The three HVAC sanitation processeswere: (1) Contact method (use of conventional vacuum cleaning ofinterior duct surfaces); (2) Air sweep method (use of compressedair to dislodging dirt and debris); (3) Rotary brush method(insertion of a rotary brush into the ductwork to agitate anddislodge the debris). Effectiveness of these sanitationprocesses was evaluated in terms of airborne particulate andviable bioaerosol concentrations in residential homes. Eightidentical homes were selected in the same neighborhood. Twohomes were cleaned using each procedure and two were used ascontrols. It was found that both particle count readings andbioaerosol concentrations were higher when cleaning was beingperformed than before or after cleaning, which suggests thatdirt, debris and other pollutants may become airborne as aresult of disturbances caused by the cleaning processes.Particle count readings at 0.3 micron size were found to haveincreased due to cigarette smoking. Particle counts at 1.0micron size were reduced due to HVAC duct cleaning. Post-levelbioaerosol concentrations, taken two days after cleaning, werefound to be lower than the pre-level concentrations suggestingthat the cleaning procedures were effective to some extent.Homes cleaned with the Air Sweep procedure showed the highestdegree of reduction in bioaerosol concentration among the threeprocedures investigated.     

生物气溶胶的吸湿性

归纳了有关气溶胶吸湿性的测量方法以及过去近30a来文献中报道的生物气溶胶吸湿性的主要研究成果,总结了不同种类生物气溶胶之间吸湿性的差异.已有研究表明,绝大部分的生物气溶胶粒子都具有一定的吸湿性,当相对湿度为90%时,吸湿增长因子约为1.04（真菌孢子）~1.22（细菌）,花粉颗粒物吸湿后的质量与之前的比值为1.30~1.55.最后,提出了目前关于生物气溶胶吸湿性研究中尚未解决的科学问题及该领域的主要发展方向.     

荧光法生物气溶胶监测仪标准物质研制及校准方法研究

生物气溶胶监测仪是利用激光或紫外光诱导生物粒子发射荧光,从而实现对空气中的生物气溶胶进行监测的仪器.目前,国内尚无生物气溶胶监测仪校准用标准物质和评价方法.以聚苯乙烯微球为核,通过Friedel-Crafts酰基化反应,研制出能够自身受激发产生荧光的聚苯乙烯(PS-PB)微球.PS-PB微球粒径分布的相对标准偏差为1....     

Aspects of Tests and Assessment of Filtering Materials Used for Respiratory Protection Against Bioaerosols. Part II: Sweat in the Environment,Microorganisms in the Form of a Bioaerosol

The second part of the article presents the results of a study of antimicrobial activity of filter nonwovens with an addition of biocides, as a function of the presence of sweat in the environment and the method of microbe deposition on a nonwoven in the form of a liquid and a bioaerosol. At the same time, the filtration efficiency of nonwovens against microorganisms in the form of a bioaerosol was tested with the dynamic method. The results showed that the addition of sweat on the surface of a nonwoven resulted in an insignificant decrease of biological activity that still remained high. Moreover, an active nonwoven showed biostatic and biocidal activity only when microbes were deposited on the surface in the form of a solution. The nonwoven did not show any biological activity after deposition of microorganisms with the dynamical method in the form of a bioaerosol.     

复合膜过滤法采样检测空气中的微生物

以无机膜为支撑膜,以壳聚糖醋酸溶液为涂层溶液制成壳聚糖复合膜,用以采样和检测空气中的微生物.通过空气中细菌采样以及大肠杆菌噬茵体模拟采样实验来表征壳聚糖复合膜作为采样用膜的特性.通过和其他方法的对比实验表明,壳聚糖复合膜具有良好的截留微生物气溶胶的能力,复合过滤法是一种较准确的采样检测空气中微生物的方法.     

细菌气溶胶粒径分布特征的检测方法

采用分粒径撞击法监测细菌气溶胶的粒径分布特征,并与沉降法检测结果进行比较.研究结果显示,分粒径撞击法和自然沉降法测得空气细菌总数间存在显著的正相关关系;自然沉降法获得的细菌总数约占撞击法18%,并与撞击法第一级采集的细菌总数基本一致(P＞0.05).约70%的细菌分布在撞击法3-6级,该粒径范围的细菌与人体下呼吸道疾病密切相关.结果表明,计数空气中细菌数量可能能够反映与细菌性疾病流行的关系,而细菌在不同粒径的气溶胶中分布可能对特定疾病如呼吸道细菌感染更为重要.分粒径进行细菌计数可能对监测空气质量更有意义.     

养鸡场空气中抗性基因和条件致病菌污染特征

集约化养殖场被认为是空气环境中抗性基因和致病菌的重要来源.本研究采集了养鸡场粪便和舍内外空气样本,对其抗生素抗性基因和条件致病菌的种类进行分析,包括五类抗生素(β-内酰胺类的23个基因、四环素23个基因、喹诺酮5个基因、磺胺类5个基因和红霉素2个基因)抗性基因、5种条件致病菌(肠球菌属、大肠杆菌属、葡萄球菌属、弯曲杆菌属和产气荚膜梭状芽胞杆菌属各1个基因)以及一类整合子(int I1)特异基因;并利用荧光定量PCR对检出率较高的典型基因浓度进行检测.结果显示,空气中5类抗生素抗性基因分别检出8、7、2、3和2个,同时检测到两种致病菌.目标基因在舍内空气中的检出率小于等于粪便样本.蛋鸡和肉鸡舍内空气中总细菌基因(16S r DNA)浓度为106copies·m-3,其他典型基因浓度约104copies·m-3,且在舍外的浓度要远低于舍内.抗生素抗性基因和条件致病菌基因在空气中所占比例高于粪便,舍内高于舍外.初步研究结果表明,粪便可能是舍内抗生素抗性基因、条件致病基因以及一类整合子的重要来源.本研究结果将为集约化养殖场抗生素抗性基因和致病菌的来源分析,以及养殖场对周边空气环境污染的风险评估提供基础数据.     

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.      

北偏西大风对北京冬季生物气溶胶的影响

生物气溶胶对大气成云过程、生态系统演化和人体健康都有着重要的影响,目前对生物气溶胶浓度、组成和活性的变化规律认识不足.因此,在2013年1月和2015年1月在北京市清华大学校园内进行了采样和观测,以分析气象条件对生物气溶胶浓度和组成的影响.生物气溶胶浓度用生物气溶胶在线检测器WIBS-4A(waveband integrated bioaerosol sensor)测定,生物气溶胶中细菌群落的组成用16S rDNA测序的方法来测定.结果表明,北京冬季生物气溶胶数浓度范围在2~150 L~(-1).风是影响生物气溶胶的浓度和组成的重要因素.主导风向为北偏西30°,风速大于4 m·s-1的大风天气时,生物气溶胶的数浓度升高1个数量级,生物气溶胶中细菌群落的组成也发生急剧的变化.大风天气过后,生物气溶胶中细菌群落的组成缓慢恢复到大风前的状态.     

全身正压生物防护服防护性能研究

为研究动力送风全身式正压生物防护服对人员的防护性能,采用标准方法检测正压生物防护服气密性和液体喷溅防护性能,连续监测穿着正压生物防护服活动时的内部正压值变化。采用微环境气溶胶密闭舱室平台,研究正压生物防护服对黏质沙雷氏菌(ATCC 8039)和phi-x174噬菌体气溶胶的整体防护性能。结果表明,正压生物防护服气密性和液体喷溅防护性能均达到气密型防护服和喷射液密防护服水平。对2种生物气溶胶的防护效率均在99.97%以上,且与送风量与环境湿度无关。正压生物防护服被人员穿着进行作业时,其内部能始终能保持大于16 Pa的正压。对该防护服防护性能的系统分析能全面评估类似防护服的整体防护性能,也为未来各类正压式防护服研发和防护性能研究提供技术参考。