Pottage Thomas, Ngabo Didier, Parks Simon, Hookway Helen, Verlander Neville Q, Kojima Kazunobu, Bennett Allan M
Research and Evaluation, UK Health Security Agency, Salisbury, United Kingdom.
Statistics, Modelling and Economics Department, UK Health Security Agency, London, United Kingdom.
Appl Biosaf. 2022 Jun 1;27(2):92-99. doi: 10.1089/apb.2021.0038. Epub 2022 May 27.
Modern microbiology laboratories are designed to protect workers and the environment from microbial aerosols produced during microbiological procedures and accidents. However, there is only limited data available on the aerosols generated from common microbiology procedures.
A series of common microbiological procedures were undertaken with high concentration spore suspensions while air samplers were operated to sample the aerosols generated. Surface contamination from droplets was visualized using sodium fluorescein within the suspension. A total of 36 procedures were studied using different sample volumes (0.1-10 mL) and two spore suspension titers (10 and 10 colony forming units [cfu]/mL).
The aerosol concentrations generated varied from 0 to 13,000 cfu/m. There was evidence to suggest that titer, volume, and poor use of equipment were significant factors in increased aerosol generation from some of the procedures. A risk assessment undertaken using the data showed that any aerosol generated from these processes would be contained within a correctly operating biological safety cabinet. Therefore, with these procedures, the operator and the environment would not require any additional protective measures such as respiratory protective equipment or a negative pressure laboratory to prevent aerosol exposure or release.
Aerosol generation from common laboratory processes can be minimized by reducing sample volumes and concentrations if possible. Training laboratory staff in good microbiological techniques would further mitigate aerosols generated from common laboratory processes.
现代微生物实验室旨在保护工作人员和环境免受微生物操作过程及事故中产生的微生物气溶胶的影响。然而，关于常见微生物操作产生的气溶胶的数据有限。
使用高浓度孢子悬浮液进行一系列常见微生物操作，同时运行空气采样器对产生的气溶胶进行采样。使用悬浮液中的荧光素钠可视化液滴造成的表面污染。共研究了36种操作，使用不同的样本体积（0.1 - 10毫升）和两种孢子悬浮液滴度（10和10菌落形成单位[cfu]/毫升）。
产生的气溶胶浓度在0至13000 cfu/立方米之间变化。有证据表明，滴度、体积和设备使用不当是某些操作中气溶胶产生增加的重要因素。利用这些数据进行的风险评估表明，这些过程产生的任何气溶胶都将被正确运行的生物安全柜所容纳。因此，对于这些操作，操作人员和环境不需要任何额外的防护措施，如呼吸防护设备或负压实验室来防止气溶胶暴露或释放。
如果可能，通过减少样本体积和浓度，可以将常见实验室操作产生的气溶胶降至最低。对实验室工作人员进行良好微生物技术培训将进一步减少常见实验室操作产生的气溶胶。
