A simple mechanism for uncrewed aircraft bioaerosol sampling in the lower atmosphere

Understanding the movement of bioaerosols, such as spores and pollen, through the atmosphere is important for a broad spectrum of landscape research, including agricultural fungal outbreaks and pollen threats to public health. As spores and pollen can be transported in the air over large distances, the use of aircraft has historically played a role in detecting and mapping their presence in the lower atmosphere.

We present a simple alternative to costly and specialized aircraft and associated equipment that are typically used in the study of spores and pollen in the atmosphere.

We use 3D printable components and common lab supplies mounted on an uncrewed aircraft (UA). Conveniently, this setup does not require additional electronic components to control collection during flight, using the UA landing gear mechanism instead.

We demonstrate that this apparatus can collect fungal spores in the atmosphere and describe potential impacts by the environment and experimental protocol on collection efficiency. These include the effects of: (1) competing airflows from UA rotors, flight trajectories, and wind, (2) flight altitude, and (3) particle size and Petri dish collection medium.

Complex biological mechanisms and atmospheric dynamics dictate the release, transport, and deposition of bioaerosols. Economical methods to sample bioaerosols in the lower atmosphere can increase the amount and type of data collected and unlock new understanding. The methodology presented here provides an economical method to sample bioaerosols that can help improve landscape-level understanding of the dispersal of bioaerosols.