Premium
Effect of electrical charges and fields on injury and viability of airborne bacteria
Author(s) -
Mainelis Gediminas,
Górny Rafał L.,
Reponen Tiina,
Trunov Mikhaylo,
Grinshpun Sergey A.,
Baron Paul,
Yadav Jagjit,
Willeke Klaus
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
biotechnology and bioengineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.136
H-Index - 189
eISSN - 1097-0290
pISSN - 0006-3592
DOI - 10.1002/bit.10290
Subject(s) - bioaerosol , electric field , aerosolization , spore , pseudomonas fluorescens , microorganism , bacteria , bacillus anthracis , electric charge , endospore , bacillus subtilis , chemistry , microbiology and biotechnology , environmental science , biology , aerosol , physics , genetics , organic chemistry , quantum mechanics , inhalation , anatomy
In this study, the effects of the electric charges and fields on the viability of airborne microorganisms were investigated. The electric charges of different magnitude and polarity were imparted on airborne microbial cells by a means of induction charging. The airborne microorganisms carrying different electric charge levels were then extracted by an electric mobility analyzer and collected using a microbial sampler. It was found that the viability of Pseudomonas fluorescens bacteria, used as a model for sensitive bacteria, carrying a net charge from 4100 negative to 30 positive elementary charges ranged between 40% and 60%; the viability of the cells carrying >2700 positive charges was below 1.5%. In contrast, the viability of the stress‐resistant spores of Bacillus subtilis var. niger (used as simulant of anthrax‐causing Bacillus anthracis spores when testing bioaerosol sensors in various studies), was not affected by the amount of electric charges on the spores. Because bacterial cells depend on their membrane potential for basic metabolic activities, drastic changes occurring in the membrane potential during aerosolization and the local electric fields induced by the imposed charges appeared to affect the sensitive cells' viability. These findings facilitate applications of electric charging for environmental control purposes involving sterilization of bacterial cells by imposing high electric charges on them. The findings from this study can also be used in the development of new bioaerosol sampling methods based on electrostatic principles. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biotechnol Bioeng 79: 229–241, 2002.