Typical benign indoor aerosol concentrations in public spaces and designing biosensors for pathogen detection: A review

Publication date: December 2014
Source:Building and Environment, Volume 82
Author(s): Elvira V. Bräuner , Marie Frederiksen , Barbara Kolarik , Lars Gunnarsen
The use of biological agents against enemies has persisted throughout centuries and the use of Anthrax spores on civilians in USA in 2001, suggests a growing worldwide threat. Safeguarding spaces under attack requires rapid detection and identification. Bio-protect is a project supported by the European Commission, with the concept of developing a fast-alert, mobile, easy-to-use device to detect and identify airborne pathogens. It is important that biosensors are both selective and sensitive as interference with or response to benign indoor aerosols in their typical concentrations can create panic. The purpose of this paper is to provide background information on typical levels of benign indoor aerosols. We performed a literature search to identify relevant original studies reporting indoor aerosol concentrations in areas we considered could be targeted by malicious attacks of bioterrorism including assembly spaces as well as the transport sector. We identified 95 eligible studies representing different seasons and geographical and climatic regions. Levels of indoor aerosols ranged over several orders of magnitude and were mostly affected by indoor human activities and population density, outdoor air levels and ventilation type. Outdoor variables most important for non-bioaerosols were proximity to major roads and composition of the vehicle fleet, whilst for bioaerosols season and geography were the most important. Selectivity and sensitivity issues are very important in designing and manufacturing biosensors. The ranges of the typical indoor aerosols presented in this study can be used as a reference in designing biosensors used for improvement of public security.