Improved Large-Volume Sampler for the Collection of Bacterial Cells from Aerosol

A modified large-volume sampler was demonstrated to be an efficient device for the collection of mono-disperse aerosols of rhodamine B and poly-disperse aerosols of bacterial cells. Absolute efficiency for collection of rhodamine B varied from 100% with 5-mum particles to about 70% with 0.5-mum particles. The sampler concentrated the particles from 950 liters of air into a flow of between 1 and 2 ml of collecting fluid per min. Spores of Bacillus subtilis var. niger were collected at an efficiency of about 82% compared to the collection in the standard AGI-30 sampler. In the most desirable collecting fluids tested, aerosolized cells of Serratia marcescens, Escherichia coli, and Aerobacter aerogenes were collected at comparative efficiencies of approximately 90, 80, and 90%, respectively. The modified sampler has practical application in the study of aerosol transmission of respiratory pathogens.