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Bøifot KO, Skogan G, Dybwad M. Sampling efficiency and nucleic acid stability during long-term sampling with different bioaerosol samplers. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2024; 196:577. [PMID: 38795190 PMCID: PMC11127824 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-024-12735-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/27/2024]
Abstract
Aerosol microbiome studies have received increased attention as technological advancements have made it possible to dive deeper into the microbial diversity. To enhance biomass collection for metagenomic sequencing, long-term sampling is a common strategy. While the impact of prolonged sampling times on microorganisms' culturability and viability is well-established, its effect on nucleic acid stability remains less understood but is essential to ensure representative sample collection. This study evaluated four air samplers (SKC BioSampler, SASS3100, Coriolis μ, BioSpot-VIVAS 300-P) against a reference sampler (isopore membrane filters) to identify nucleic acid stability during long-term sampling. Physical sampling efficiencies determined with a fluorescent tracer for three particle sizes (0.8, 1, and 3 μm), revealed high efficiencies (> 80% relative to reference) for BioSampler, SASS3100, and BioSpot-VIVAS for all particle sizes, and for Coriolis with 3 μm particles. Coriolis exhibited lower efficiency for 0.8 μm (7%) and 1 μm (50%) particles. During 2-h sampling with MS2 and Pantoea agglomerans, liquid-based collection with Coriolis and BioSampler showed a decrease in nucleic acid yields for all test conditions. BioSpot-VIVAS displayed reduced sampling efficiency for P. agglomerans compared to MS2 and the other air samplers, while filter-based collection with SASS3100 and isopore membrane filters, showed indications of DNA degradation for 1 μm particles of P. agglomerans after long-term sampling. These findings show that long-term air sampling affects nucleic acid stability in both liquid- and filter-based collection methods. These results highlight bias produced by bioaerosol collection and should be considered when selecting an air sampler and interpreting aerosol microbiome data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kari Oline Bøifot
- Norwegian Defence Research Establishment, P.O. Box 25, NO-2027, Kjeller, Norway.
- Department of Analytical, Environmental and Forensic Sciences, King's College London, 150 Stamford Street, London, SE1 9NH, UK.
| | - Gunnar Skogan
- Norwegian Defence Research Establishment, P.O. Box 25, NO-2027, Kjeller, Norway
| | - Marius Dybwad
- Norwegian Defence Research Establishment, P.O. Box 25, NO-2027, Kjeller, Norway
- Department of Analytical, Environmental and Forensic Sciences, King's College London, 150 Stamford Street, London, SE1 9NH, UK
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Zhang Y, Shankar SN, Vass WB, Lednicky JA, Fan ZH, Agdas D, Makuch R, Wu CY. Air Change Rate and SARS-CoV-2 Exposure in Hospitals and Residences: A Meta-Analysis. AEROSOL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR AEROSOL RESEARCH 2024; 58:217-243. [PMID: 38764553 PMCID: PMC11101186 DOI: 10.1080/02786826.2024.2312178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/21/2024]
Abstract
As SARS-CoV-2 swept across the globe, increased ventilation and implementation of air cleaning were emphasized by the US CDC and WHO as important strategies to reduce the risk of inhalation exposure to the virus. To assess whether higher ventilation and air cleaning rates lead to lower exposure risk to SARS-CoV-2, 1274 manuscripts published between April 2020 and September 2022 were screened using key words "airborne SARS-CoV-2 or "SARS-CoV-2 aerosol". Ninety-three studies involved air sampling at locations with known sources (hospitals and residences) were selected and associated data were compiled. Two metrics were used to assess exposure risk: SARS-CoV-2 concentration and SARS-CoV-2 detection rate in air samples. Locations were categorized by type (hospital or residence) and proximity to the sampling location housing the isolated/quarantined patient (primary or secondary). The results showed that hospital wards had lower airborne virus concentrations than residential isolation rooms. A negative correlation was found between airborne virus concentrations in primary-occupancy areas and air changes per hour (ACH). In hospital settings, sample positivity rates were significantly reduced in secondary-occupancy areas compared to primary-occupancy areas, but they were similar across sampling locations in residential settings. ACH and sample positivity rates were negatively correlated, though the effect was diminished when ACH values exceeded 8. While limitations associated with diverse sampling protocols exist, data considered by this meta-analysis support the notion that higher ACH may reduce exposure risks to the virus in ambient air.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuetong Zhang
- Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columnia, Canada
| | - Sripriya Nannu Shankar
- Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
- Department of Environmental & Public Health Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - William B. Vass
- Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - John A. Lednicky
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Z. Hugh Fan
- Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
- J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Duzgun Agdas
- Engineering School of Sustainable Infrastructure & Environment, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Robert Makuch
- Department of Biostatistics, Yale University School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Chang-Yu Wu
- Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
- Department of Chemical, Environmental, and Materials Engineering, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida, USA
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Ji J, Wang H, Wang L, Ramazi P, Kong JD, Watmough J. Climate-dependent effectiveness of nonpharmaceutical interventions on COVID-19 mitigation. Math Biosci 2023; 366:109087. [PMID: 37858753 DOI: 10.1016/j.mbs.2023.109087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2023] [Revised: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
Environmental factors have a significant impact on the transmission of infectious diseases. Existing results show that the novel coronavirus can persist outside the host. We propose a susceptible-exposed-presymptomatic-infectious-asymptomatic-recovered-susceptible (SEPIARS) model with a vaccination compartment and indirect incidence to explore the effect of environmental conditions, temperature and humidity, on the transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Using climate data and daily confirmed cases data in two Canadian cities with different atmospheric conditions, we evaluate the mortality rates of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and further estimate the transmission rates by the inverse method, respectively. The numerical results show that high temperature or humidity can be helpful in mitigating the spread of COVID-19 during the warm summer months. Our findings verify that nonpharmaceutical interventions are less effective if the virus can persist for a long time on surfaces. Based on climate data, we can forecast the transmission rate and the infection cases up to four weeks in the future by a generalized boosting machine learning model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juping Ji
- Department of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, Canada; Interdisciplinary Lab for Mathematical Ecology and Epidemiology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, Canada
| | - Hao Wang
- Department of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, Canada; Interdisciplinary Lab for Mathematical Ecology and Epidemiology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, Canada.
| | - Lin Wang
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB E3B 5A3, Canada
| | - Pouria Ramazi
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON L2S 3A1, Canada
| | - Jude Dzevela Kong
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, York University, Toronto, ON M3J 1P3, Canada
| | - James Watmough
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB E3B 5A3, Canada
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Ijaz MK, Sattar SA, Nims RW, Boone SA, McKinney J, Gerba CP. Environmental dissemination of respiratory viruses: dynamic interdependencies of respiratory droplets, aerosols, aerial particulates, environmental surfaces, and contribution of viral re-aerosolization. PeerJ 2023; 11:e16420. [PMID: 38025703 PMCID: PMC10680453 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
During the recent pandemic of COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2), influential public health agencies such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have favored the view that SARS CoV-2 spreads predominantly via droplets. Many experts in aerobiology have openly opposed that stance, forcing a vigorous debate on the topic. In this review, we discuss the various proposed modes of viral transmission, stressing the interdependencies between droplet, aerosol, and fomite spread. Relative humidity and temperature prevailing determine the rates at which respiratory aerosols and droplets emitted from an expiratory event (sneezing, coughing, etc.) evaporate to form smaller droplets or aerosols, or experience hygroscopic growth. Gravitational settling of droplets may result in contamination of environmental surfaces (fomites). Depending upon human, animal and mechanical activities in the occupied space indoors, viruses deposited on environmental surfaces may be re-aerosolized (re-suspended) to contribute to aerosols, and can be conveyed on aerial particulate matter such as dust and allergens. The transmission of respiratory viruses may then best be viewed as resulting from dynamic virus spread from infected individuals to susceptible individuals by various physical states of active respiratory emissions, instead of the current paradigm that emphasizes separate dissemination by respiratory droplets, aerosols or by contaminated fomites. To achieve the optimum outcome in terms of risk mitigation and infection prevention and control (IPAC) during seasonal infection peaks, outbreaks, and pandemics, this holistic view emphasizes the importance of dealing with all interdependent transmission modalities, rather than focusing on one modality.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. Khalid Ijaz
- Global Research & Development for Lysol and Dettol, Reckitt Benckiser LLC, Montvale, NJ, United States of America
| | - Syed A. Sattar
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology & Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Stephanie A. Boone
- Water & Energy Sustainable Technology Center, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States of America
| | - Julie McKinney
- Global Research & Development for Lysol and Dettol, Reckitt Benckiser LLC, Montvale, NJ, United States of America
| | - Charles P. Gerba
- Water & Energy Sustainable Technology Center, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States of America
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Vass WB, Shankar SN, Lednicky JA, Yang Y, Manzanas C, Zhang Y, Boyette J, Chen J, Chen Y, Shirkhani A, Washeem M, Fan ZH, Eiguren-Fernandez A, Jutla A, Wu CY. Detection and isolation of infectious SARS-CoV-2 omicron subvariants collected from residential settings. AEROSOL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR AEROSOL RESEARCH 2023; 57:1142-1153. [PMID: 38143528 PMCID: PMC10735208 DOI: 10.1080/02786826.2023.2251537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023]
Abstract
Airborne transmission of infectious (viable) SARS-CoV-2 is increasingly accepted as the primary manner by which the virus is spread from person to person. Risk of exposure to airborne virus is higher in enclosed and poorly ventilated spaces. We present a study focused on air sampling within residences occupied by individuals with COVID-19. Air samplers (BioSpot-VIVAS, VIVAS, and BC-251) were positioned in primary- and secondary-occupancy regions in seven homes. Swab samples were collected from high-touch surfaces. Isolation of SARS-CoV-2 was attempted for samples with virus detectable by RT-qPCR. Viable virus was quantified by plaque assay, and complete virus genome sequences were obtained for selected samples from each sampling day. SARS-CoV-2 was detected in 24 of 125 samples (19.2%) by RT-qPCR and isolated from 14 (11.2%) in cell cultures. It was detected in 80.9% (17/21) and cultured from 61.9% (13/21) of air samples collected using water condensation samplers, compared to swab samples which had a RT-qPCR detection rate of 10.5% (4/38) and virus isolation rate of 2.63% (1/38). No statistically significant differences existed in the likelihood of virus detection by RT-qPCR or amount of infectious virus in the air between areas of primary and secondary occupancy within residences. Our work provides information about the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in the air within homes of individuals with COVID-19. Information herein can help individuals make informed decisions about personal exposure risks when sharing indoor spaces with infected individuals isolating at home and further inform health departments and the public about SARS-CoV-2 exposure risks within residences.
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Affiliation(s)
- William B. Vass
- Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Sripriya Nannu Shankar
- Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - John A. Lednicky
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Yang Yang
- Department of Statistics, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Carlos Manzanas
- Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Yuetong Zhang
- Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Jessica Boyette
- Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Jiayi Chen
- Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Yuqiao Chen
- Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Amin Shirkhani
- Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Mo Washeem
- Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Z. Hugh Fan
- Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
- Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | | | - Antarpreet Jutla
- Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Chang-Yu Wu
- Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
- Department of Chemical, Environmental, and Materials Engineering, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida, USA
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