Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.31306/s.58.4.4
Monitoring the microbiological status of air in the sterilization units of health care facilities
Anita Rakić
; Nastavni zavod za javno zdravstvo Splitsko-dalmatinske županije, Split, Hrvatska
Katja Ćurin
; Nastavni zavod za javno zdravstvo Splitsko-dalmatinske županije, Split, Hrvatska
Ivana Gjeldum
; Opća medicina, Split, Hrvatska
Abstract
Microorganisms in the air are part of the bioaerosol which is composed of different particles of biological substances, dust particles, bacteria cells and their portions, mould spores and a number of by-products of their metabolism. This research focuses on analysing the primary microclimate indicators (temperature and relative humidity) and the presence of microorganisms in the work environment (air). Measurements were taken after the process of sterilisation of infective waste over three months with the objective to determine the total number of aerobic mesophilic bacteria and the total number of moulds. The microclimate indicators were measured with an attested device. The study monitored the microbiological purity of the air in a given place using the sedimentation method, with samples subsequently processed in a microbiology lab in keeping with the prescribed standards. After incubation and following the counting of developed colonies on microbiological substrates (Tryptic soy agar and Sabouraud dextrose agar), different strains of bacteria and moulds were identified. The most common were Gram (+) sporogenes bacteria Micrococcus spp and Staphylococcus spp., and as for fungi the most commonly found were Aspergillus spp and Penicillium spp.
It was found that temperature and relative humidity affect the total number of aerobic mesophilic bacteria and fungi which was confirmed using the Wilcoxon equivalent pairs test at the level of statistic significance p<0.05.
Keywords
air quality; microclimate conditions; bacteria; fungi
Hrčak ID:
172578
URI
Publication date:
29.12.2016.
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