Volume 8, Issue 4 (December 2023)
J Environ Health Sustain Dev 2023, 8(4): 2125-2133 |
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Ethics code: IR.KAUMS.REC.1395.121
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Atoof F, Gholipour S, Shamsizadeh Z, Amirimoghaddam M, Mirzaei N, Nazari-Alam A, et al . Characteristics of Airborne Particles and Bacteria in Hospital Indoor and Outdoor Air. J Environ Health Sustain Dev 2023; 8 (4) :2125-2133
URL: http://jehsd.ssu.ac.ir/article-1-651-en.html
URL: http://jehsd.ssu.ac.ir/article-1-651-en.html
Fatemeh Atoof 
, Sahar Gholipour , Zahra Shamsizadeh , Mohsen Amirimoghaddam , Nezam Mirzaei * , Ali Nazari-Alam , Davarkhah Rabbani , Mansour Baziar , Gholamreza Hoseindoost , Gholamreza Mostafaii , Abbas Bahrami
, Sahar Gholipour , Zahra Shamsizadeh , Mohsen Amirimoghaddam , Nezam Mirzaei * , Ali Nazari-Alam , Davarkhah Rabbani , Mansour Baziar , Gholamreza Hoseindoost , Gholamreza Mostafaii , Abbas Bahrami
Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Faculty of Health, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran.
Abstract: (211 Views)
Introduction: Given that hospital air is one of the important environmental sources for transmission of microorganisms, the importance of airborne transmission in the epidemiology of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) has gained attention in the past two decades. Therefore, the present study aims to determine the concentration of bacteria in association with airborne particulate matter (PM) in the outdoor and indoor air of two hospital wards.
Materials and methods: The GRIMM 1.109 dust monitor and the Andersen one-stage viable impactor were used for particle counting and bioaerosol sampling, respectively.
Results: The average levels of airborne bacteria sampled from outdoor air were 33 colony-forming units (CFU/m3), and in the air samples of medical and infectious disease wards, they were 76 and 85 CFU/m3, respectively. Staphylococcus spp. and Acinetobacter spp. were the most prevalent bacteria in the samples. Statistical analysis showed a significant association between PM2.5, and PM10 particle mass concentrations and airborne bacteria concentrations in indoor air samples (P-value < 0.05).
Conclusion: Some bacterial agents of HAIs existed in hospital air and may be problematic for immunocompromised patients. Higher levels of bacteria in indoor air compared to outdoor air may indicate that the bacteria were of indoor origin, such as the presence and activities of people. Moreover, the results showed that particle counting may be a useful tool for airborne bacteria monitoring.
Materials and methods: The GRIMM 1.109 dust monitor and the Andersen one-stage viable impactor were used for particle counting and bioaerosol sampling, respectively.
Results: The average levels of airborne bacteria sampled from outdoor air were 33 colony-forming units (CFU/m3), and in the air samples of medical and infectious disease wards, they were 76 and 85 CFU/m3, respectively. Staphylococcus spp. and Acinetobacter spp. were the most prevalent bacteria in the samples. Statistical analysis showed a significant association between PM2.5, and PM10 particle mass concentrations and airborne bacteria concentrations in indoor air samples (P-value < 0.05).
Conclusion: Some bacterial agents of HAIs existed in hospital air and may be problematic for immunocompromised patients. Higher levels of bacteria in indoor air compared to outdoor air may indicate that the bacteria were of indoor origin, such as the presence and activities of people. Moreover, the results showed that particle counting may be a useful tool for airborne bacteria monitoring.
Type of Study: Original articles |
Subject:
Environmental microbiology
Received: 2023/08/23 | Accepted: 2023/10/20 | Published: 2023/12/24
Received: 2023/08/23 | Accepted: 2023/10/20 | Published: 2023/12/24
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