Recovery of Naturally Occurring Human Borne Microbial Contamination from Settle Plates Exposed in a Unidirectional Airflow Workstation for 4 Hours

The ability of irradiated 90 mm diameter tryptone soya agar settle plates, exposed for 4 hours in a unidirectional airflow (UDAF) workstation to recover microbial contamination, was investigated. investigation completed by direct contamination numerous plates with naturally occurring microbe-carrying particles (MCPs) dispersed from person within an enclosed environment. Half these were subsequently UDAF and then incubated. other half, contaminated similar number MCPs, not the provided controls. Investigation reduction plate weight during exposure also help understand influence media water content any loss recovery. Following incubation, numbers recovered micro-organisms compared it determined that average test colonies reduced 8.7% control weight, associated water, 12.3%. It concluded micro-organisms, following hour UDAF, significantly reduced. Key words: Microbiological desiccation, dehydration, (UDAF), exposure, (MCPs), environmental monitoring, sampling.