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Bacterial Aerosol in Silesian Hospitals: Preliminary Results
J. S. Pastuszka1,2, E. Marchwińska-Wyrwał1, A. Wlazło3
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1 Medical University of Silesia, School of Public Health, Piekarska 18, 41-902 Bytom, Poland
2 Silesian University of Technology, Faculty of Energy and Environmental Engineering,
Department of Air Protection, Akademicka 2, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
3 Institute of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health, Koscielna 13, 41-200 Sosnowiec, Poland
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2005;14(6):883-890
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ABSTRACT
The concentration levels of airborne bacteria were measured in clinical/hospital rooms in Upper Silesia , Poland, in buildings of varying conditions. It was found that the typical level of bacterial aerosol concentration is about 103 CFUm-3 in clinical outpatient rooms and ranges from 102 CFUm-3 to 103 CFUm-3 in hospitals, depending on the number of occupants and physical quality of the building. The increased level of the airborne bacteria in patient rooms resulting from bed-making was noticed. The Staphylococcus/Micrococcus group was a dominating part of the bacteria in studied hospitals/clinic air, contributing together 58-78% of the total bacteria concentration, confirming that detected airborne bacteria mainly originated from human organisms. The size distributions of bacterial aerosol in naturally ventilated rooms have peaks in the size range between 1.1 and 3.3 µm while in the mechanically ventilated hospital rooms with HVAC the peak appears in the diameter range from 3.3 µm to 4.7 µm.