ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Public Health
Sec. Occupational Health and Safety
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1634327
Quantifying Aerosol and Microbial Exposure of Healthcare Workers in Endoscopy suites: A Time-based Study
Provisionally accepted
- 1School of Nursing, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
- 2Department of Gastroenterology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Clinical College of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
- 3Department of Gastroenterology, Nanjing University Medical School Affiliated Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Nanjing, China
- 4Department of Infection Control, Nanjing University Medical School Affiliated Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Nanjing, China
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This study aimed to quantify aerosol and microbial exposure levels during different working hours, analyze temporal air pollution trends in the endoscopy suite, and provide evidence to optimize infection prevention strategies.A portable laser particle counter and an airborne bacteria sampler were used to measure aerosol particle concentrations and microbial loads at four time points: before the commencement of work (baseline), and 1, 2, and 3 hours after work initiation. Continuous data collection was conducted over 10 consecutive working days. Air quality assessments were performed through scientific evaluation according to relevant international and national standards.Qualified rates for aerosols ≥0.5 μm increased by 20-30% during the 3 working hours compared to baseline levels. Microbial qualified rates remained at 100% throughout the study period. Aerosol concentrations across all particle sizes significantly increased with working hours (P < 0.01). The growth rate of 5-10 μm aerosols was higher than that of 0.3-5 μm particles (P < 0.01). After 3 hours, concentrations of 0.5-25 μm and 0.3-10 μm aerosols increased by 1.48-fold and 1.3-fold compared to baseline values. Total microbial colonies positively correlated with work duration, polyp detection frequency, biopsy procedures performed, and procedure duration (P < 0.05). Microbial analysis identified 12 species, predominantly bacteria (79.6%) and fungi (20.4%).This study highlights trends in aerosol and microbial contamination over time and identifies four factors influencing microbial counts in the endoscopy suite. We propose some recommendations to reduce exposure risks for HCWs and patients.
Keywords: Endoscopy, Healthcare workers, Aerosols, microorganisms, Qualified rates
Received: 24 May 2025; Accepted: 28 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Ye, Li, Li, Wu, Wang, Li and Sheng. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Wen Li, Department of Gastroenterology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Clinical College of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.