Facilities Management has consulted CQU academic Dr Keith Harrower to monitor air quality in CQU buildings.

The School of Biological & Environmental Sciences microbiology specialist has worked with the Division throughout 2005, conducting ongoing tests to assess air quality in selected CQU buildings.

Dr Harrower uses state-of-the-art equipment costing thousands of dollars and purchased by Facilities Management to conduct this air sampling.

The portable Burkard equipment (one is shown at bottom left in the photo below) samples 10 litres of air per minute over 8 minutes using an internal turbine to collect air samples. The testing process quantitatively collects airborne mould spores and other microscopic particles of interest.

The equipment traps particles including dust, skin cells and spores onto a slide and also a Petri dish containing a selective medium which are then examined in Dr Harrower’s laboratory microscopically and in culture.

Two microscopic moulds are of particular interest to Dr Harrower - Aspergillus fumigatus (the cause of ‘Farmers lung disease’) and Stachybotrys chartarum. The latter carries very potent antigens on the surface of its spores which are powerful irritants.

Dr Harrower also tests air samples taken outside buildings and compares this with samples taken inside the building to estimate the efficiency of a/c filtering Refrigeration mechanic Pat O’Grady uses this information to monitor the performance of air conditioning plants throughout CQU buildings.

Operations Manager, Geoff Thompson (pictured alongside Keith) says that the Division of Facilities Management will continue to work with Keith during 2006 to ensure that air quality is monitored for the safety of students, staff and visitors to CQU.