Air and water are the two most important elements required for all living things on earth to continue their lives. Air contains a number of substances necessary for breathing and survival, but it also contains other substances and microorganisms of different sizes. Considering that these substances and microorganisms pose a danger to human health, it is essential to detect them immediately and take the necessary steps to take precautions. Therefore, microbiological analysis of air is important for human health. Otherwise, it is highly probable that many health problems will occur.
Ambient air microbiological testing is considered indispensable in terms of measuring the microbial density of the air. Bacteria, viruses, fungi, mites, etc. are microbial contaminants in the air. The vast majority are fungi and bacteria. Fungal agents, which come to the forefront at this point, are extremely important in terms of air contamination. These agents live and reproduce easily in indoor and outdoor areas, especially in humid environments. The pH and water activity range required for their life and reproduction is sufficient.
The standard room temperature in general living spaces is 18-25 C. In this case, many areas where food production and storage are carried out can be ideal environments for the development of fungal agents and various bacteria in terms of both temperature and humidity. The formation of molds in indoor environments can cause negative conditions in terms of respiratory, nervous, immune, hematological and dermatological aspects. It can also cause systemic infections that can be life-threatening in people with suppressed immune systems. Therefore, breathing clean air is essential for human health.
The high microorganism load in the ambient air can cause various allergies. Especially in closed areas, prolonged exposure to ambient air can cause various symptoms such as sneezing, nasal congestion, and itchy skin. In recent years, many devices have been introduced to the market claiming to clean the air of bacteria, fungi, and viruses due to the impact of the pandemic. These devices use various methods to clean the air. The aim is to remove or destroy microorganisms in the air from the environment through many methods such as UV lamps and HEPA filters.
Microbiological analysis of ambient air is possible with microbial air quality testing. With devices that detect the number of microorganisms in the air, the number of microorganisms in the environment can be determined separately as bacteria and fungi.
Microbiological air quality must be at certain values, especially in closed environments such as plazas, residences, shopping malls. In this regard, there are limit values for offices etc. working environments in many countries.
Indoor air should be ventilated at certain times to prevent microbial contamination, if this is not possible, a certain amount of clean air should be provided from the central ventilation.
It is possible to analyze the ambient air microbiologically. The number of microorganisms in the environment can be determined separately as bacteria and mold-yeast with devices that detect the number of microorganisms in the air.
In order to prevent microbiological air quality in a closed environment from becoming microbiologically dirty, the environment must be ventilated at certain times. If this is not possible, a certain amount of clean air must be supplied from central ventilation.
Microorganisms that are free in the air or attached to substances are also called bioaerosols. Considering that air is everywhere, microbial contamination that may occur in the air can be risky and dangerous for the food business, employees, products and people who will consume that food. Depending on the density and types of these microorganisms, spoilage may occur in the food in the environment, consumers and production personnel may get food poisoning. In addition, different infectious diseases may occur in these people. Therefore, airborne bacteria and fungi testing is very important, especially when it comes to food production and storage areas.
In places where food is produced or stored, air intake from outside can be reduced using different methods or there are different methods to allow fresh air to enter. There are also different studies that can be done to reduce the microbial load of the air inside. It is possible to perform microbial control of the ambient air manually or with the help of a device. Microbial measurements made with the device can give accurate results since the air rate passing through the device is standard each time.
Depending on their differences and densities, bacteria in the air can cause both contamination in foods and the emergence of different respiratory tract infections in people breathing this air. We can say that bacterial spores in particular pose a risk because they can survive for a longer time compared to vegetative cells. Factors such as air flow, humidity, sections and location of the business, structural features, and areas of activity also have a direct effect on the microbial load of the air.
Pollen, which is much more common especially in rural areas, can also cause mechanical contamination. At the same time, allergic reactions are inevitable in more sensitive people due to inhalation of pollen. In addition, it is also possible that the microbiological load on the pollen passes to the food during mechanical contamination.
Today, there are different systems used to measure the microbial density of ambient air. There are various methods such as measuring the microbial load in cfu/m with test devices, measuring the microbial load in cfu/m with the open petri dish method, measuring the chemical components of microorganism cells (DNA, enzyme, ATP) in m volume and counting under a microscope.
All living things need water and air to continue their lives. It is essential to make sure that these indispensable elements do not pose any risks to human health. Air is a very important factor used for breathing and survival. Therefore, in addition to being beneficial for humans, there are many foreign substances and microorganisms that can be harmful to human health. Wherever there is air, there can be microbiological contamination from the air. What is really important at this point is that these contaminations pose a risk to consumers as well as those working in the food sector. Depending on the type and amount of these microorganisms, foods can spoil in a short time, and employees and consumers can be exposed to food poisoning or other infections. Therefore, it is extremely important to conduct microbiological analyses, especially in the ambient air of food production facilities and storage areas.
With the help of devices that detect the number of microorganisms in the air, the number of these microorganisms can be determined separately as mold-yeast and bacteria. Microbiological air quality should have certain values, especially in indoor areas such as residences, plazas and shopping malls where people enter and exit intensively. Although there is no known limit on this issue in our country, it is possible to say that there are limit values for work areas such as offices in certain countries abroad. In order not to be microbiologically dirty, the environment should be ventilated at certain intervals. If this is not possible, it is necessary to provide a certain amount of clean air with central ventilation.
Saniter performs various analyses of microbiological ambient air. The quality of the company preferred for these analyses is extremely important in achieving accurate results. Saniter, which has been making a difference in the analysis sector for a long time, continues to grow and develop every day. Contact us to experience this difference and have microbiological analyses performed to separate the air you breathe from foreign substances and microorganisms.
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