Qualitative and quantitative methodologies for determination of airborne microorganisms at concentrated animal-feeding operations

The generation of airborne microorganisms from concentrated animal-feeding operations (CAFOs) is a concern from a human and animal health perspective. To better understand the airborne microorganisms found in these environments, a number of collection and analytical techniques have been utilized and will be discussed in this review. The most commonly used bioaerosol collection method is the liquid impingement format, which is suitable with a number of culture-based and non-culture molecular-based approaches, such as polymerase chain reaction. However, the vast majority of airborne microorganism studies conducted at CAFOs utilize culture-based analyses. Because of the limitations often associated with culture-based analyses, we focused our discussion on the application of molecular-based techniques to identify and/or quantify microorganisms, as they have promising application in bioaerosol research. The ability to rapidly characterize airborne microorganisms will help to ensure protection of public and environmental health.