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Spores of Puffball Fungus Lycoperdon pyriforme as a Reference Standard of Stable Monodisperse Aerosol for Calibration of Optical Instruments

Summary

This research introduces a natural and cost-effective solution for calibrating air quality measurement instruments using spores from common puffball mushrooms. Unlike artificial alternatives, these fungal spores maintain consistent size and don’t clump together in the air, making them ideal for instrument calibration. Impact on everyday life: – Could lead to more accurate air quality measurements in cities and indoor spaces – May help develop better air purification systems – Provides a more affordable way to calibrate air quality monitoring equipment – Could improve detection of harmful airborne particles – May advance our understanding of how biological particles behave in air

Background

Air pollution monitoring requires real-time measurement of particulate matter size and concentration, which can only be achieved using optical instruments. These instruments need regular calibration with reference samples. Current reference standards like polystyrene latex (PSL) microspheres and aluminum oxide powder have limitations including particle coagulation, size instability during storage, and high costs.

Objective

To evaluate puffball fungus (Lycoperdon pyriforme) spores as a novel reference standard for calibrating optical aerosol measurement instruments, comparing their properties to existing standards like PSL microspheres and aluminum oxide powder.

Results

L. pyriforme spores showed highly uniform size distribution with mean diameter of 3.0-3.4 μm. The spores maintained stable size in aerosol form for over 15 minutes without coagulation, unlike PSL and aluminum oxide which showed rapid aggregation. Spores could be stored for at least 2 years without significant changes in properties. The fungal fruiting body acted as a natural aerosol generator, eliminating need for specialized equipment.

Conclusion

Puffball fungus spores outperform artificial reference standards in several aspects: they maintain monodisperse size distribution, resist coagulation, have long shelf life, are inexpensive, and require no special equipment for aerosol generation. These properties make them highly suitable as a reference standard for calibrating optical aerosol measurement instruments.
  • Published in:PLOS One,
  • Study Type:Comparative Analysis,
  • Source: 10.1371/journal.pone.0210754
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