Simultaneous real-time estimation of airborne bacterial and fungal concentrations for indoor bioaerosol exposure surveillance via adenosine triphosphate (ATP) bioluminescence

초록

Airborne bacteria and fungi are major components of indoor bioaerosol exposure and can contribute to adverse health outcomes, yet routine monitoring is often limited by the low time resolution and delayed results of culture-based methods. These limitations can obscure short-lived, potentially hazard-relevant fluctuations in indoor bioaerosol concentrations, reducing the utility of conventional methods for timely exposure screening and risk-informed environmental response. To address this gap, we developed a field-deployable, real-time monitoring system that combines wet-cyclone air sampling with dual optofluidic adenosine triphosphate (ATP) bioluminescence modules for differential estimation of airborne bacterial and fungal concentrations from a single collected sample. The system uses time-resolved lysis and bioluminescence responses to distinguish bacterial and fungal signals, enabling low-latency tracking of group-selective bioaerosol dynamics in indoor environments. We evaluated analytical performance through laboratory calibration and chamber tests and further demonstrated field applicability in occupied indoor spaces using comparisons with culture-based measurements and reference instruments. This system is intended as a complementary tool for bioaerosol exposure surveillance and risk screening, rather than a replacement for culture-based identification and confirmation workflows.