title: Mathematical modeling and simulation of bacterial distribution in an aerobiology chamber using computational fluid dynamics.
abstract: Computer-aided design and draft, along with computer-aided engineering software, are used widely in different fields to create, modify, analyze, and optimize designs.
  
  
  
  We used computer-aided design and draft software to create a 3-dimensional model of an aerobiology chamber built in accordance with the specifications of the 2012 guideline from the Environmental Protection Agency for studies on survival and inactivation of microbial pathogens in indoor air. The model was used to optimize the chamber's airflow design and the distribution of aerosolized bacteria inside it.
  
  
  
  The findings led to the identification of an appropriate fan and its location inside the chamber for uniform distribution of microbes introduced into the air, suitability of air sample collection from the center of the chamber alone as representative of its bacterial content, and determination of the influence of room furnishings on airflow patterns inside the chamber.
  
  
  
  The incorporation of this modeling study's findings could further improve the design of the chamber and the predictive value of the experimental data using it. Further, it could make data generation faster and more economical by eliminating the need for collecting air samples from multiple sites in the chamber.
authors: Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
authors: Bahram
authors: B
authors: Zargar
authors: Department of Mechanical Engineering, K. N. T. University of Technology, Tehran, Iran.
authors: Farshad M
authors: FM
authors: Kashkooli
authors: Department of Mechanical Engineering, K. N. T. University of Technology, Tehran, Iran; Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Soltani
authors: Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
authors: Kathryn E
authors: KE
authors: Wright
authors: RB, Montvale, NJ; Department of Biology, Medgar Evers College of the City University of New York (CUNY), Brooklyn, NY.
authors: M Khalid
authors: MK
authors: Ijaz
authors: Professor Emeritus of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada. Electronic address: ssattar@uottawa.ca.
authors: Syed A
authors: SA
authors: Sattar
mesh_terms: D000336:Aerosols; D000391:Air Microbiology; D057446:Hydrodynamics; D050296:Microbial Viability; D008962:Models, Theoretical
chemical_list: D000336:Aerosols
keywords: Airborne spread of infectious agents; Distribution of particles in indoor air; Predictive modeling of bacterial distribution in an aerobiology chamber; Sampling air for infectious agents