PM 2.5 and Increased Aeroallergen: Use of Nanotechnology and AFL-Mask to Combat COVID-19

Simple item page
dc.contributor.authorGhosh, Nabarun
dc.contributor.authorHoward, Aubrey
dc.contributor.authorDe Leon, Lyanna
dc.contributor.authorNguyen, Marytrinh
dc.date.accessioned2023-06-27T13:15:15Z
dc.date.available2023-06-27T13:15:15Z
dc.date.issued2022-03-03
dc.descriptionWe built a Fiberglass chamber that was divided into two sub-chambers, C-1 and C-2, by placing a fiberglass wall in between. A slot was made to fit the AFL Mask® and sealed to make the chambers airtight. We placed Petri plates every 24 hours on both the C-1 and C-2 sides and counted the colonies formed while keeping the mask running. The number of microbial colonies in the Petri plates on side C-1 (No filtered air) were compared with the C-2 (Filtered Air passed through the AFL Mask) Petri plates. Every 24h-interval showed variable counts of the microbial colonies. In the next part of the experiment we compared the PM2.5 count in both of the chambers, C-1 and C2, after 24, 48, 72, 96, and 120 hours. In this experiment, we used dust consisting of Particulate Matters (PM) ranging 2.5-10 micro-meters. We purchased the ISO 12103-1 Ultrafine Dust Particle with an average size of 2.75 micron (PTI Powder Tech., Minnesota) to evaluate any reduction of the particle concentration. We have calculated the natural rate of decay of the Particulate Matters by placing a in the chambers after aerosol saturation in 24-hour periods. Using fans, we spread the PM2.5 in the chamber (C-1) uniformly and waited for 72 hours to develop an equilibrium in the contained aerosol. All chamber doors and the slot where the AFL Mask was fitted were sealed air tight using silicone grease to ensure Particulate Matters did not disperse out of the chamber. We have recorded the number of PM2.5 floating inside the chamber C-1 and C-2 by using a mobile handheld air monitor, the LightHouse Handheld Particle Counter that samples the airborne particles. We have recorded the particle concentrations in the divided chamber at various intervals to determine the percentage of the particles that were prevented to enter to the other chamber when the mask was placed in the junction of the chamber.en_US
dc.description.abstractWe have used domesticated canines like dogs as the animal model to study the efficiency of the AFL Mini Sanifier II®. The objective of our study was to determine if the pollen concentration in the air has any relationship with the incidence of inhalant allergies in dogs. Dogs suffer from the same type of inhalant allergies as people such as pollen, mold, and other allergens. The data on dogs admitted to an animal hospital in Amarillo for allergy treatment were collected and compared to the aeroallergen indices of respective years. We analyzed the data to determine if there is any correlation between the increase of aeroallergen concentration and patients receiving treatment at the animal hospital. We also analyzed the effect of the AFL Mini Sanifier II® on aeroallergen in the indoor air of the clinic by setting slides with double sticky tapes and observing with a BX-40 Olympus microscope with a digital camera. Analyzed data indicate that there exists a significant correlation between the aeroallergen indices with the incidence of allergy in dogs.en_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/11310/5480
dc.language.isoen_USen_US
dc.subject2022 Faculty Research Poster Session and Research Fairen_US
dc.subjectWest Texas A&M Universityen_US
dc.subjectDepartment of Life, Earth, and Environmental Sciencesen_US
dc.subjectPosteren_US
dc.subjectInhalant allergiesen_US
dc.titlePM 2.5 and Increased Aeroallergen: Use of Nanotechnology and AFL-Mask to Combat COVID-19en_US
dc.typePresentationen_US

Files

Original bundle

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
Ghosh-Faculty Research Poster 22.pdf
Size:
993.11 KB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Poster
Download

License bundle

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
license.txt
Size:
1.62 KB
Format:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Description:
Download

Collections

2022 Faculty Research Poster Session and Research Fair