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Retention of Inactivated Bioaerosols and Ethene in a Rotating Bioreactor Constructed for Bioaerosol Activity Studies
Author(s) -
Krumins Valdis,
Son EunKyeu,
Mainelis Gediminas,
Fennell Donna E.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
clean – soil, air, water
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.444
H-Index - 66
eISSN - 1863-0669
pISSN - 1863-0650
DOI - 10.1002/clen.200800004
Subject(s) - indoor bioaerosol , bioreactor , bioaerosol , pseudomonas fluorescens , microorganism , substrate (aquarium) , suspension (topology) , biodegradation , chemistry , bacterial growth , bacteria , respirometry , environmental science , environmental chemistry , aerosol , biology , organic chemistry , ecology , mathematics , homotopy , pure mathematics , genetics
Available literature raises the possibility that airborne microorganisms are not just passively transported through the air, but may be metabolically active while “in transit”. To investigate the metabolic activity of bacteria suspended in air enriched with volatile growth substrates, a rotating bioreactor system was developed and tested which allows prolonged suspension of bacteria in air. The bioreactors were 0.32 m 3 stainless steel drums rotated at 1.3 revolutions per minute and equipped with on‐board pressure, temperature and humidity transducers with real‐time data collection. Bioreactors were tested for retention of a volatile organic compound, ethene, and for suspension of an inactivated laboratory‐generated Pseudomonas fluorescens bioaerosol. At an initial ethene concentration of 560 ppmv the first order abiotic loss of ethene was 0.051 ± 0.010 d –1 (average ± standard deviation) or a half life of 13.6 days. Inactivated airborne bacteria (size mode 0.5 to 0.7 μm) remained suspended with a half life of 8.5 days. Thus, the bioreactors maintained bacteria suspended in the presence of a volatile growth substrate for a time period theoretically sufficient to observe metabolic activity. Bioreactors will be used to test natural bioaerosols and active laboratory‐generated bioaerosols during enrichment with volatile organic compounds to assess growth and substrate biodegradation.