Bioaerosol Detection Technologies

This book is intended to give technological background and practical examples, but also to give general insight into the on-going technology development in the area of biodetection. The content is therefore suitable for an array of stakeholders (decision makers, purchasing officers, etc.) and end-users of biodetection equipment within the areas of health, environment, safety and security, and military preparation. The book is divided into three sections. The first section discusses the fundamental physical and biological properties of bioaerosol's. The second section goes into more detail and discusses in-depth the most commonly used detection principles. The third section of the book is devoted to technologies that have been used in standoff applications. The last section of the book gives an overview of trends in bioaerosol detection. The reader of this book will gain knowledge about the different biodetection technologies and thus better judge their capabilities in relation to desired applications.

This is a critical assessment of breakthrough biosensor technologies that will allow for the rapid identification of biological threat agents in the environment and human population. The book provides a comprehensive overview of the current state of biological weapons threat, and reviews biosensor technologies including detection platforms, networked alarm-type biodetector systems, implementation strategies, electro-optical and electrochemical biosensors.

Biological warfare agent (BWA) detectors are designed to provide alerts to military personnel of the presence of dangerous biological agents. Detecting such agents promptly makes it possible to minimize contamination and personnel exposure and initiate early treatment. It is also important, though, that detectors not raise an alarm when the situation does not warrant it. The question considered in this book is whether Agent-Containing Particles per Liter of Air (ACPLA) is an appropriate unit of measure for use in the evaluation of aerosol detectors and whether a better, alternative measure can be developed. The book finds that ACPLA alone cannot determine whether a health threat exists. In order to be useful and comparable across all biological agents and detection systems, measurements must ultimately be related to health hazard. A Framework for Assessing the Health Hazard Posed by Bioaerosols outlines the possibility of a more complex, but more useful measurement framework that makes it possible to evaluate relative hazard by including agent identity and activity, particle size, and infectious dose.

Bioaerosols Emission from Anthropogenic Sources: Influencing Factors, Microbial Diversity, Epidemiological Threats, and Control Approaches covers various sources of biohazards and their associated risk factors. These air contaminants are developing concerns to people and the environment and must be addressed to avert future dangers. As little is known about their precise sources, controlling variables, microbial diversity, the involvement of co-pollutants, and dispersion and control methods, this book will assist stakeholders, including the public, government officials, and policymakers in developing successful strategies for ensuring society's safety. Identifies potential emission stages at different anthropogenic sources of bioaerosols Discusses characteristics, fate and development of effective control strategies for minimizing exposure to site specific bioaerosols Presents cleaner production and sustainable development tactics of bioaerosols

Over the last ten years, there has been growing concern about potential biological attacks on the nation's population and its military facilities. It is now possible to detect such attacks quickly enough to permit treatment of potential victims prior to the onset of symptoms. The capability to "detect to warn", that is in time to take action to minimize human exposure, however, is still lacking. To help achieve such a capability, the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) asked the National Research Council (NRC) to assess the development path for "detect to warn" sensors systems. This report presents the results of this assessment including analysis of scenarios for protecting facilities, sensor requirements, and detection technologies and systems. Findings and recommendations are provided for the most probable path to achieve a detect-to-warn capability and potential technological breakthroughs that could accelerate its attainment.

The BioWatch program, funded and overseen by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has three main elements--sampling, analysis, and response--each coordinated by different agencies. The Environmental Protection Agency maintains the sampling component, the sensors that collect airborne particles. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention coordinates analysis and laboratory testing of the samples, though testing is actually carried out in state and local public health laboratories. Local jurisdictions are responsible for the public health response to positive findings. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is designated as the lead agency for the law enforcement response if a bioterrorism event is detected. In 2003 DHS deployed the first generation of BioWatch air samplers. The current version of this technology, referred to as Generation 2.0, requires daily manual collection and testing of air filters from each monitor. DHS has also considered newer automated technologies (Generation 2.5 and Generation 3.0) which have the potential to produce results more quickly, at a lower cost, and for a greater number of threat agents. Technologies to Enable Autonomous Detection for BioWatch is the summary of a workshop hosted jointly by the Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council in June 2013 to explore alternative cost-effective systems that would meet the requirements for a BioWatch Generation 3.0 autonomous detection system, or autonomous detector, for aerosolized agents . The workshop discussions and presentations focused on examination of the use of four classes of technologies--nucleic acid signatures, protein signatures, genomic sequencing, and mass spectrometry--that could reach Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 6-plus in which the technology has been validated and is ready to be tested in a relevant environment over three different tiers of temporal timeframes: those technologies that could be TRL 6-plus ready as part of an integrated system by 2016, those that are likely to be ready in the period 2016 to 2020, and those are not likely to be ready until after 2020. Technologies to Enable Autonomous Detection for BioWatch discusses the history of the BioWatch program, the role of public health officials and laboratorians in the interpretation of BioWatch data and the information that is needed from a system for effective decision making, and the current state of the art of four families of technology for the BioWatch program. This report explores how the technologies discussed might be strategically combined or deployed to optimize their contributions to an effective environmental detection capability.

Environmental stress caused by water continuously exposes buildings to microbial colonization. This is highly evident when both minor dampness and mass flooding occur. The text describes how microbiological corrosion of buildings and the structures and substances derived from these hazards are responsible for adverse health effects on people exposed to these contaminated environments. Microbiological Corrosion of Buildings: A Guide to Detection, Health Hazards, and Mitigation describes the key elements and methods for neutralising and removing microbiological contamination, and the operating algorithm for checking the effectiveness of preventative solutions. Ideal for construction engineers, microbiologists and professionals in the field. Features: Latest methods for detection of indoor microbial hazards Identifies the tools needed for natural, non-destructive and non-invasive methods of bio-corrosion removal Describes the social and health problems associated with exposure to microbiological hazards Provides case studies and examples of microorganisms responsible for microbial corrosion. ‘Climate change and the associated adverse effects, such as floods and whirlwinds, make the problem of microbiological corrosion of buildings that generates health risks and economic losses on a global scale, the focus of science and technology. The monograph presents a complex problem of building bio-corrosion, that requires knowledge of the distant fields of microbiology and building technology, for the use of both scientists and practitioners. This pioneering work of an interdisciplinary nature harmoniously combines knowledge on specific microbiological issues relating to the process of bio-corrosion and the associated health risks with detailed issues of construction technology concerning the prevention of bio-corrosion and its removal. The authors succeeded in combining a very high scientific level in the monograph with an accessible and understandable presentation of complex problems. The extensive references, ranging from "classical" items from many years ago to the most recent articles presenting the state of the art in this field, are worth emphasising.’ —Prof. Jacek Dutkiewicz, Ph.D., D.Sc., Institute of Rural Health in Lublin

The most comprehensive resource available on the many applications of portable spectrometers, including material not found in any other published work Portable Spectroscopy and Spectrometry: Volume Two is an authoritative and up-to-date compendium of the diverse applications for portable spectrometers across numerous disciplines. Whereas Volume One focuses on the specific technologies of the portable spectrometers themselves, Volume Two explores the use of portable instruments in wide range of fields, including pharmaceutical development, clinical research, food analysis, forensic science, geology, astrobiology, cultural heritage and archaeology. Volume Two features contributions by a multidisciplinary team of experts with hands-on experience using portable instruments in their respective areas of expertise. Organized both by instrumentation type and by scientific or technical discipline, 21 detailed chapters cover various applications of portable ion mobility spectrometry (IMS), infrared and near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy, Raman and x-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy, smartphone spectroscopy, and many others. Filling a significant gap in literature on the subject, the second volume of Portable Spectroscopy and Spectrometry: Features a significant amount of content published for the first time, or not available in existing literature Brings together work by authors with assorted backgrounds and fields of study Discusses the central role of applications in portable instrument development Covers the algorithms, calibrations, and libraries that are of critical importance to successful applications of portable instruments Includes chapters on portable spectroscopy applications in areas such as the military, agriculture and feed, hazardous materials (HazMat), art conservation, and environmental science Portable Spectroscopy and Spectrometry: Volume Two is an indispensable resource for developers of portable instruments in universities, research institutes, instrument companies, civilian and government purchasers, trainers, operators of portable instruments, and educators and students in portable spectroscopy courses.