Estimating Solar and Nonsolar Inactivation Rates of Airborne Bacteria
Publication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 131, Issue 4
Abstract
Land application of biosolids is a wide spread practice in the United States, Canada, and Western Europe. Given the potential for biosolid aerosolization during land application, both solar and nonsolar induced inactivation rate information is needed to more accurately predict the fate of bacteria in air. Pilot-scale bioaerosol reactor experiments that independently measure the solar and nonsolar (absence of solar radiation) inactivation rates of airborne Mycobacterium parafortuitum and Escherichia coli were performed. Direct fluorescent microscopy measurements for total airborne bacteria and culture-based assays were used to measure concentrations in a aerosol reactor that was transparent to UV-A and UV-B wavelengths, and to produce decay curves of airborne bacteria under moderate (50–60%) and high (85–95%) levels of relative humidity (RH). E. coli was more susceptible to airborne decay than M. parafortuitum at all RH levels tested. RH strongly influenced solar and nonsolar airborne inactivation rates in both bacteria. These inactivation rates for both bacteria were greatest at moderate RH levels.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 131 • Issue 4 • April 2005
Pages: 512 - 517
Copyright
© 2005 ASCE.
History
Received: Jul 15, 2003
Accepted: Jul 6, 2004
Published online: Apr 1, 2005
Published in print: Apr 2005
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