Abstract
The viable bacterial particle size distribution in the atmosphere at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation, Richland, WA during two, 1-week periods in June 1992, was observed at three intervals during the day (morning, midday and evening) and at three heights (2, 4, and 8 m) above ground level. The distributions were significantly different (P=0.01) between the two, 1-week sampling periods and between morning, midday, and evening observations, but not between the three heights. Approximately 30 to 50% fell into the largest particle size category; ≥ 7.0µm aerodynamic diameter. All particle size categories were at their minimum bacterial concentration at around noon, with the lowest concentrations in the smaller size categories (<2.1µm aerodynamic diameter). This suggests, that at this high desert location, solar radiation (SR) damage to airborne bacteria is particle size discriminatory. There is a relatively greater effect on the smaller size categories at midday and a relatively lesser effect in the morning and evening.
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Lighthart, B., Shaffer, B.T. Viable bacterial aerosol particle size distributions in the midsummer atmosphere at an isolated location in the high desert chaparral. Aerobiologia 11, 19–25 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02136140
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02136140