Index >> Air Microbiology >> Droplet Nuclei

Droplet Nuclei - Small droplets in a warm, dry atmosphere tend to evaporate rapidly and become droplet nuclei. Thus, the residue of solid material left after drying up of a droplet is known as droplet nuclei. These are small, 1-4µm, and light. They can remain suspended in air for hours or days, traveling long distances.

They may serve as a continuing source of infection if the bacteria remain viable when dry. Viability is determined by a set of complex factors including, the atmospheric conditions like humidity, sunlight and temperature, the size of the particles bearing the organisms, and the degree of susceptibility or resistance of the particular microbial species to the new physical environment.