AAAR 31st Annual Conference
October 8-12, 2012
Hyatt Regency Minneapolis
Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Abstract View
Microbial Content of Vacuum Cleaner Dust and Emitted Bioaerosols
CAROLINE DUCHAINE, Luke Knibbs, Congrong He, Marc Veillette, Ariane Pelletier, Remi Charlebois, Lidia Morawska, Université Laval, Canada
Abstract Number: 102 Working Group: The Indoor Microbiome
Abstract Indoor cleaning using high quality vacuum cleaners and bags is often recommended as a way of reducing allergen exposure in the home of asthmatic and allergic individuals. However, it has been shown that vacuuming can also promote the release of large concentrations of antigens by mechanical disturbance and release from the cleaner. In addition to releasing allergens and antigens from the surfaces, there is some evidence to suggest that vacuum bags may be a source of bioaerosol exposure through the release of their content during vacuuming. This is also potentially a source of dissemination of infectious bacteria. In the current study, we aimed to characterize the emission of bioaerosols from 21 in-use vacuum cleaners spanning a wide range of ages (6 months to 22 years) and prices (AUD $75 to $800).. This report presents the findings of the second part of a larger study looking at biological and non-biological particles released from various vacuum cleaners (Knibbs et al., 2012). The emission of bacteria, Penicillium/Aspergillus genera as well as Clostridium cluster 1 and the presence of antibiotic resistance genes, Clostridium botulinum toxin gene in dust and air was measured. The bacterial biodiversity of vacuum dust and air samples taken during the assays was also assessed. The overall emission rates of bacteria ranged from 0 to to 7.4 × 10E5 bacteria min-1. Dust from vacuum bags contained up to 1 × 10E8 bacteria, Penicillium and Aspergillus per gram, and up to 6 × 10E5 Clostridium per gram. Antibiotic resistance genes were detected in 4 out of 18 dust samples and in 5 out of 18 air samples from operating vacuum cleaners. The DGGE biodiversity revealed several ribotypes from human and environmental origin. No samples were positive for the C. botulinum toxin gene and Archeae. Our study demonstrates that vacuum cleaner dust bags can contain significant quantities of bacteria and molds, and that extent to which these are emitted into the air varies greatly depending on the individual vacuum cleaner. Vacuum cleaner emissions are a source of indoor bioaerosol exposure. Frequent users, such as professional cleaners, may incur elevated exposures compared to other groups.