A field comparison of four samplers for enumerating fungal aerosols I. Sampling characteristics

This study compared the performance of four bioaerosol samplers, the Reuter Centrifugal Air Sampler, the Andersen N6 single stage, the Surface Air System 90, and the Air-o-Cell, in measurements for airborne fungal propagules collected in 75 public building sites without prior knowledge of water damage or mold problems in British Columbia, Canada. The samplers had differences in detection limits, reproducibility, and overall yield. However, high and significant correlations between samplers (indoor samples: Pearson r = 0.60-0.85, P < 0.001) suggest that relative performances between samplers were reasonably consistent. These results indicate that fungal airborne concentration data are dependent on the methods used for assessment, and introduce additional variability in exposure assessment studies.