Sources and Dynamics of Fluorescent Particles in Hospitals

Fluorescent particles can be markers of bioaerosols and are therefore relevant to nosocomial infections. To date, little research has focused on fluorescent particles in occupied indoor environments, particularly hospitals. In this study, we aimed to determine the spatial and temporal variation of fluorescent particles in two large hospitals in Brisbane, Australia (one for adults and one for children). We used an Ultraviolet Aerodynamic Particle Sizer (UVAPS) to identify fluorescent particle sources, as well as their contribution to total particle concentrations. We found that the average concentrations of both fluorescent and non‐fluorescent particles were higher in the adults’ hospital (0.06×106 and 1.20×106 particles/m3, respectively) than in the children\u27s hospital (0.03×106 and 0.33×106 particles/m3, respectively) (