THE DETECTION OF BIOLOGICAL AEROSOLS BY THE CONCENTRATION PROFILE TECHNIQUE
Abstract
The research was to include, but not be limited to: (a) the detection of chemical compounds unique to microorganisms; (b) the development of methods of analysis of such compounds sensitive to submicrogram quantities; and (c) the determination of the feasibility of performing analysis sufficiently rapid to provide information on the chemical composition of organisms to permit differentiation from other aerosol particulates. A technique was developed for the extraction of bacterial lipids with simultaneous transesterification of these lipids to methyl esters. This technique has resulted in the extraction and conversion of lipids to methyl esters in less than five minutes, compared with previous methods which required from several hours to more than two days. Conversion of the lipids to methyl esters was found to be necessary because repeated attempts to chromatograph bacterial lipids at operating temperatures up to 400 C were unsuccessful. Moreover, the technique developed for extraction- transesterification was found to be faster than any method of lipid extraction alone. The thermal conductivity detector was used as the work horse detector and all of the concentration profiles were obtained with it.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 31, 1962
- Accession Number
- AD0291692
Entities
People
- Hannibal De Schmertzing
- Kenneth Abel
Organizations
- Melpar