Understanding water uptake in bioaerosols using laboratory measurements, field tests, and modeling

Zahra Chaudhry; Shanna A. Ratnesar-Shumate; Thomas J. Buckley; Jeffrey M. Kalter; Jerome U. Gilberry; Jonathan P. Eshbaugh; Elizabeth C. Corson; Joshua L. Santarpia; Christopher C. Carter

doi:10.1117/12.2016151

29 May 2013 Understanding water uptake in bioaerosols using laboratory measurements, field tests, and modeling

Zahra Chaudhry, Shanna A. Ratnesar-Shumate, Thomas J. Buckley, Jeffrey M. Kalter, Jerome U. Gilberry, Jonathan P. Eshbaugh, Elizabeth C. Corson, Joshua L. Santarpia, Christopher C. Carter

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 8710, Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosives (CBRNE) Sensing XIV; 871017 (2013) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2016151
Event: SPIE Defense, Security, and Sensing, 2013, Baltimore, Maryland, United States

Abstract

Uptake of water by biological aerosols can impact their physical and chemical characteristics. The water content in a bioaerosol can affect the backscatter cross-section as measured by LIDAR systems. Better understanding of the water content in controlled-release clouds of bioaerosols can aid in the development of improved standoff detection systems. This study includes three methods to improve understanding of how bioaerosols take up water. The laboratory method measures hygroscopic growth of biological material after it is aerosolized and dried. Hygroscopicity curves are created as the humidity is increased in small increments to observe the deliquescence point, then the humidity is decreased to observe the efflorescence point. The field component of the study measures particle size distributions of biological material disseminated into a large humidified chamber. Measurements are made with a Twin-Aerodynamic Particle Sizer (APS, TSI, Inc), -Relative Humidity apparatus where two APS units measure the same aerosol cloud side-by-side. The first operated under dry conditions by sampling downstream of desiccant dryers, the second operated under ambient conditions. Relative humidity was measured within the sampling systems to determine the difference in the aerosol water content between the two sampling trains. The water content of the bioaerosols was calculated from the twin APS units following Khlystov et al. 2005 [1]. Biological material is measured dried and wet and compared to laboratory curves of the same material. Lastly, theoretical curves are constructed from literature values for components of the bioaerosol material.

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Zahra Chaudhry, Shanna A. Ratnesar-Shumate, Thomas J. Buckley, Jeffrey M. Kalter, Jerome U. Gilberry, Jonathan P. Eshbaugh, Elizabeth C. Corson, Joshua L. Santarpia, and Christopher C. Carter "Understanding water uptake in bioaerosols using laboratory measurements, field tests, and modeling", Proc. SPIE 8710, Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosives (CBRNE) Sensing XIV, 871017 (29 May 2013); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2016151

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