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Bacteria bioaerosol in the indoor air of educational microenvironments: Measuring exposures and assessing health effects

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Abstract

Exposure to bioaerosols has been identified to be linked the incidence of various health effects, i.e., infectious diseases, acute toxic effects, allergies, and cancer. The aim of this study was to determine the bacterial bioaerosols in the indoor air of the educational environments of Ardabil universities and to evaluate the exposure and to determine its health risk. In this cross-sectional study, different sections of the educational environments of Ardabil universities were studied. For differential diagnosis of bacteria, methods such as gram staining and biochemical detection methods including DNAse, catalase, oxidase, coagulase, bile esculin hydrolysis test, urease, citrate test, antibiotic resistance to novobiocin and Bacitracin, optochin, glucose uptake, and other differential tests were used. For sampling, a single-stage Anderson sampler was used at a flow rate of 28.3 l at a duration of 10 min per minute. The results showed that, in medical school of Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, the average concentration of bacteria in the outdoor air of school, halls, classes and rooms of professors and staff were 18, 88.4, 76.6, and 77.4 CFU/m3, respectively, and, in Ardabil Islamic Azad University, the average bacterial concentration was 103, 97, 124, and 132 CFU/m3 in the outdoor air of the schools, halls, classrooms, and rooms of professors and staff, respectively. The predominant bacterial species in indoor air are S. aureus, S. epidermidis, Actinomycetes, and Bacillus, respectively. As results indicated, the concentration of bacterial bioaerosols in indoor air is within the standard levels, but due to frequency of bacterial species, occurrence of different in lung and intestinal diseases can be expected among faculty, staff and students in the long-term.

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Acknowledgments

This research is extracted from the dissertation of the Ph.D student in Environmental Engineering with a focus on environmental pollution at the Islamic Azad University of Ardabil with the dissertation code of 1194814626441811398157599. Therefore, the authors appreciate the esteemed president, educational and research deputies of Ardabil Islamic Azad University for their cooperation in facilitating the implementation of this project. Also, Dr. Mehdi Fazlzadeh, Dr. Abdollah Dargahi and Dr. Peyman Azghani are sincerely appreciated and thanked for their help in the process of this research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. PhD Student in Environmental Science and Engineering-Environmental Pollution, Department of environment science and engineering, Ardabil branch, Islamic Azad university, Ardabil, Iran

    Anoshirvan Sadigh

  2. Department of Environment Science and engineering, Ardabil Branch, Islamic Azad University, Ardabil, Iran

    Ebrahim Fataei

  3. Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, Ardabil, Iran

    Mohsen Arzanloo

  4. Department of Agricultural Engineering, Ardabil Branch, Islamic Azad University, Ardabil, Iran

    Ali Akbar Imani

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  1. Anoshirvan Sadigh
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Correspondence to Ebrahim Fataei.

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Sadigh, A., Fataei, E., Arzanloo, M. et al. Bacteria bioaerosol in the indoor air of educational microenvironments: Measuring exposures and assessing health effects. J Environ Health Sci Engineer 19, 1635–1642 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40201-021-00719-5

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