In the world of indoor environmental quality, bacterial contamination often raises questions, especially when dealing with sewage damage. A recent inquiry got me thinking about an important misconception: can E. coli (Escherichia coli) or coliform bacteria become airborne or “evaporate” from contaminated surfaces into the air?
Here’s the reality: under normal conditions, E. coli and coliform bacteria are not airborne. They do not evaporate or become aerosolized unless subjected to significant force, such as high-pressure splashing or mechanical aerosolization. This means that bacterial air sampling and surface swabbing in areas not directly impacted by sewage contamination might lead to misleading results.
Effective sampling of E. coli involves targeted methodologies:
1️⃣ Focus on direct sources of contamination (e.g., sewage-impacted surfaces).
2️⃣ Use sterile swabs for surface testing in areas of concern.
3️⃣ Employ water sampling for suspect reservoirs, following EPA or CDC guidelines.
While air sampling has its place in identifying certain contaminants, using it to detect E. coli in unrelated areas often results in unnecessary effort and misallocated resources.
