A personal sampler to monitor airborne particles of biological origin

Aerobiological studies are important in many fields, specifically in medicine as they enable the identification of those airborne particles of biological origin coming into contact with man. These data are useful to evaluate the cause-effect ratio, to prevent allergy, to adjust the dose of drugs. A personal sampler for aerobiological particles (PARTRAP FA 52) was handed over to eleven atopic patients for a monitoring day. The sampling room was placed at about 15 cm from nose and mouth. The patients also underwent the Prick test and RAST test. The personal sampler for aerobiological particles enables a qualitative and quantitative sampling of the air close to the patient. More allergenic particles were found with the aerobiological personal sampling as compared to the sensitisation shown by Prick test and RAST in the same patient. This sampling method can be useful to demonstrate the cause-effect ratio directly near the patient and, moreover and can be indicative for further clinical and immunological investigations.