title: Gentle Sampling of Submicrometer Airborne Virus Particles using a Personal Electrostatic Particle Concentrator.
abstract: Measurements of airborne viruses via sampling have been critical issues. Most electrostatic samplers have been assessed for bacterial aerosols or micrometer-sized viral particles; however, sampling of submicrometer-sized airborne viruses is necessary, especially because of the high probability of their staying airborne and their deposition in the lower respiratory tract. Here, we present a novel personal electrostatic particle concentrator (EPC) for gentle sampling of submicrometer airborne virus particles. Owing to the enhanced electric field designed in this EPC, the collection efficiencies reached values as high as 99.3-99.8% for 0.05-2 μm diameter polystyrene particles at a flow rate of 1.2 L/min. Submicrometer-sized MS2 and T3 virus particles were also collected in the EPC, and the concentrations relative to their respective initial suspensions were more than 10 times higher than those in the SKC BioSampler. Moreover, the recovery rate of T3 was 982 times higher in the EPC (-2 kV) than in the BioSampler at 12.5 L/min because of the gentle sampling of the EPC. Gentle sampling is desirable because many bioaerosols suffer from significant viability losses during sampling. The influence of ozone generated, applied electrostatic field, and the flow rate on the viability of the viruses will also be discussed.
authors: School of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) , Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea.
authors: Seongkyeol
authors: S
authors: Hong
authors: Department of Biomedical Engineering, UNIST , Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea.
authors: Jyoti
authors: J
authors: Bhardwaj
authors: School of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) , Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea.
authors: Chang-Ho
authors: CH
authors: Han
authors: School of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) , Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea.|Department of Biomedical Engineering, UNIST , Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea.
authors: Jaesung
authors: J
authors: Jang
mesh_terms: D000336:Aerosols; D000391:Air Microbiology; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D010316:Particle Size; D013048:Specimen Handling; D055672:Static Electricity; D014771:Virion
chemical_list: D000336:Aerosols