Andersen sampler

Unlike real-time electronic particle counters, the Andersen sampler imparts pathogens on petri dishes, which require incubation.

[1] Andersen samplers have been used in various places and industries, including (but not limited to), compost facilities, to help mitigate the health impacts of fungal spores,[3] agriculture, to track bioaerosols more generally from livestock,[4] textiles,[5] apartment buildings,[6] wastewater facilities,[7] and even the aerosolization of anthrax following attacks in 2001.

[8] Samplers have also been used to study inert lead dust, with each stage designed to simulate the deposition characteristics of the respiratory tract.

The distributions between the CP and CO method were different enough for the null hypothesis to be rejected; the authors suggest that this may be due to the higher resolution particle count afforded by the APS, the Andersen sampler's wall losses, or the unintended collection of smaller particles in the earlier stages.

[14] In 2013, a group of researchers improved the collection efficiency of the Andersen sampler by adding mineral oil to the petri dish agar.

Schematic of Andersen sampler
Andersen's schematic for the six-stage Andersen sampler, detailing movement of air and hole sizes for the top two stages [ 1 ]
The hole pattern can be used to quantify viable particles, without a microscope, under the "positive hole method".