Comparison of particulate air samplers for detection of airborne Aspergillus flavus spores

Abstract

Four air samplers (Millipore, all-glass impinger, Andersen and absorbent cotton) were evaluated for their ability to collect airborne grain particles contaminated with Aspergillus flavus spores. Corn dust containing 6.4X106 spores/g were aerosolized within a containment system. Each device sampled 100 L of air, thus exchanging the air in the chamber two times. Spores were enumerated from all sampling matrices using Aspergillus flavus/parasiticus agar. The efficiencies of the Millipore and the cotton samplers were almost identical, while that of the all-glass impinger was less. Measurement of particle size with the Andersen sampler revealed that these spores were associated with particles of various sizes.