[A methodological study on testing and evaluating of filtration efficiency of canister against microbial aerosol].
OBJECTIVE
To establish a testing and evaluating method for filtration efficiency of the canister against microbial aerosol.


METHODS
Serratia marcescens aerosol served as model of bacterial aerosol, Bacillus subtilis var niger aerosol as model of spores aerosol, bacteriophage f(2) aerosol as model of viral aerosol. Employing the microbial aerosol testing platform was established in lab, models of microbial aerosol generated artificially were sampled quantitatively by air samplers before and after filtrating by canisters, respectively. Filtration efficiency was determined by the concentration of microbial aerosol in the air sample before and after filtrating. The four canisters of 1-1, 1-2, 1-3, 1-4 were tested for the filtration efficiency against Serratia marcescens, Bacillus subtilis var niger and phage f(2) aerosol. The two canisters of 543 and 544 canisters equipped with active carbon were tested for the filtration efficiencies against Serratia marcescens aerosol.


RESULTS
The filtration efficiency of 1-1, 1-2, 1-3 canisters against Serratia marcescens, Bacillus subtilis var niger and phage f(2) aerosol was 100.000%. The filtration efficiency of 1-4 canister filtration efficiency against Bacillus subtilis var niger spores aerosol was 99.997% and efficiency of the other two aerosol was 100.000%. The filtration efficiency of the two canisters of 543 and 544 to those attached with active carbon against Serratia marcescens aerosol was 100.000%.


CONCLUSIONS
The testing method might be used to evaluate the protective performance of the canister against microbiological aerosol. The effect of the canisters (including those equipped with active carbon) against microbiological aerosol should be reliable.
Wen
Zhan-bo
ZB
State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, National Research Center for Bio-protection Equipment, Beijing 100071, China.
Zhao
Jian-jun
JJ
Li
Jin-song
JS
Wang
Jie
J
Lu
Jian-chun
JC
Li
Na
N
D000336:Aerosols; D000391:Air Microbiology; D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005374:Filtration / Q000379:methods*; D017909:Levivirus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012134:Respiratory Protective Devices / Q000592:standards*; D012706:Serratia marcescens / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013171:Spores, Bacterial / Q000302:isolation & purification
D000336:Aerosols