Decontamination of indoor air to reduce the risk of airborne infections: Studies on survival and inactivation of airborne pathogens using an aerobiology chamber

• Published in: American journal of infection control Vol. 44; no. 10; pp. e177 - e182
• Main Authors: Sattar, Syed A., PhD, Kibbee, Richard J., MLT, Zargar, Bahram, PhD, Wright, Kathryn E., PhD, Rubino, Joseph R., MA, Ijaz, M. Khalid, PhD
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.10.2016; Mosby-Year Book, Inc
• Subjects: Aerobiology; air decontamination; Air filters; Air Microbiology; Air Pollution, Indoor - analysis; Air Pollution, Indoor - prevention & control; airborne bacteria; airborne pathogens; Bacteria - isolation & purification; Decontamination - instrumentation; Decontamination - methods; Disease Transmission, Infectious - prevention & control; Filtration - instrumentation; Filtration - methods; Humans; Humidity; Indoor air quality; Infection Control; Infectious Disease; Pneumonia; Staphylococcus infections; Survival analysis; Temperature; Temperature effects; Ultraviolet Rays; Aerobiology; air decontamination; indoor air quality; airborne bacteria; airborne pathogens
• ISSN: 0196-6553; 1527-3296
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ajic.2016.03.067

Highlights • We built a test chamber conforming to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's guide on studying pathogens in indoor air. • Bacteria (in soil load) aerosolized into the chamber were uniformly distributed. • A slit-to-agar sampler was used to collect the chamber air for viable bacteria. • We compared airborne survival of Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumoniae under ambient conditions. • Three ultraviolet-HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filter devices reduced airborne bacteria by ≥3 log10 in 45-210 minutes.