Determination of the Type and Concentration of Bacterial Bioaerosols in Ardabil Universities (Indoors and Outdoors) in 2020

 The purpose of this study was to determine the bacterial bioaerosols in indoor air of Ardabil universities and to investigate the factors affecting their concentration in Ardabil city.

 Air sampling was performed using Andersen single-stage sampler at a flow rate of 28.3 liters per minute and a respiratory range of 10 min. In this study, trypticase soy agar containing cycloheximide antibiotic was used for bacterial culture. Biochemical tests such as DNase, catalase, oxidase, coagulase, bile esculin hydrolysis test, urease, citrate test, antibiotic resistance to novobiocin, bacitracin and optochin were used for identification and differentiation of isolates.

 The mean bacterial concentration in Ardabil university of medical sciences in the open air, outside the college, the halls, the classrooms and the staff rooms  was 18, 88.4, 76.6, 77.4 CFU/m3 , respectively. The concentration of bacteria in Islamic Azad university of Ardabil in the open air, outside the college, the halls, the classrooms and the staff rooms was 103, 97, 124, 132 CFU/m3, respectively. The dominant species of bacteria in indoor air were Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Actinomycetes and Bacillus, respectively.

 According to the results of this study, it is found that the concentration of bacterial bioaerosols in indoor air is not more than standard, but the abundance of bacterial species can cause lung, intestinal and other diseases in academic personnel, staff and students in the long-term.