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Project Code [2015-CCRP-S-2]
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Project title
On-line bioaerosol sensing at a green waste management site in Ireland.
Primary Funding Agency
Irish Research Council
Co-Funding Organisation(s)
Environmental Protection Agency
Lead Organisation
University College Cork (UCC)
Lead Applicant
Patrick Feeney
Project Abstract
Pollen, spores and bacteria are often called bioaerosols and float everywhere in our atmosphere. They range in size from about 1/100th to about the size of a human hair and so can readily enter our respiratory tracks when we breathe in. This can have variable but serious health effects ranging from hay fever to a disease called Farmers� Lung. Despite these consequences, traditional methods for monitoring bioaerosols are quite crude and involve laborious counting of individual pollen and spores which are collected using a sticky surface and results can take several days to be confirmed.In this study a field campaign will be carried out at a green waste/composting site in Co. Cork using a new technique for monitoring bioaerosols called WIBS (Waveband IntegratedBioaerosol Sensor) which gives counting results in seconds rather than days. The location has been selected because very large quantities of bioaerosol spores are released in the composting process and some can have severe occupational health effects on the workers and also on the local population.
Grant Approved
�24,000.00
Research Hub
Climate Change
Research Theme
Air science
Initial Projected Completion Date
30/09/2016