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Pan Y, Zhang W, Xu Z, Zuo Z, Yuan T. Fungal community shows more variations by season and particle size than bacteria. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 925:171584. [PMID: 38492598 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2024] [Revised: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024]
Abstract
The global concern regarding the health risk associated with airborne microorganisms has prompted research in this field. However, there is a lack of systematic investigation into the particle-size distribution of airborne bacterial and fungal communities associated with seasons, which determines where they are deposited in the human respiratory tract. To address this gap, we conducted a study in Nanchang, located in central China, where we collected both coarse and fine particles during summer and winter seasons. The results demonstrated that microbial community exhibited obvious seasonal and particle-size variations except bacterial community in fine particles. Certain taxa (e.g., Bacteroidales, Ktedonobacterales, Capnodiales) displayed either seasonal and/or particle-size preferences. Furthermore, airborne microorganisms in coarse particles were more sensitive to season and particle size compared to those in fine particles, with fungal community being more susceptible than bacterial community. The susceptibility can be attributed to their high vulnerability to air pollutants and meteorological conditions, primarily PM2.5 and PM10. Additionally, a greater relative abundance of pathogenic fungi was observed in fine particles, even though microbial diversity in coarse particles was noticeably higher than that in fine particles. Furthermore, some predominant pathogens such as Alternaria, Nigrospora, and Escherichia-Shigella not only had particle size and/or seasonal preferences, but also were strongly correlated with environmental factors. This study advances our understanding of atmospheric pathogenic microorganisms and highlights the fungal health threat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanyuan Pan
- School of Water Resources & Environmental Engineering, East China University of Technology, Nanchang 330013, China.
| | - Weijun Zhang
- School of Water Resources & Environmental Engineering, East China University of Technology, Nanchang 330013, China
| | - Zhongji Xu
- Jiangxi Center for Patriotic Health and Health Promotion, Nanchang 330013, China
| | - Zhiwei Zuo
- School of Water Resources & Environmental Engineering, East China University of Technology, Nanchang 330013, China
| | - Tao Yuan
- Key Laboratory of Mine Environmental Monitoring and Improving around Poyang Lake of Ministry of Natural Resources, East China University of Technology, Nanchang 330013, China
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2
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Chen M, Gowthaman S, Nakashima K, Takano C, Kawasaki S. Baseline investigation on soil solidification through biocementation using airborne bacteria. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1216171. [PMID: 37388775 PMCID: PMC10300444 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1216171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Microbial induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) through the ureolysis metabolic pathway is one of the most studied topics in biocementation due to its high efficiency. Although excellent outcomes have proved the potential of this technique, microorganisms face some obstacles when considering complicated situations in the real field, such as bacterial adaptability and survivability issues. This study made the first attempt to seek solutions to this issue from the air, exploring ureolytic airborne bacteria with resilient features to find a solution to survivability issues. Samples were collected using an air sampler in Sapporo, Hokkaido, a cold region where sampling sites were mostly covered with dense vegetation. After two rounds of screening, 12 out of 57 urease-positive isolates were identified through 16S rRNA gene analysis. Four potentially selected strains were then evaluated in terms of growth pattern and activity changes within a range of temperatures (15°C-35°C). The results from sand solidification tests using two Lederbergia strains with the best performance among the isolates showed an improvement in unconfined compressive strength up to 4-8 MPa after treatment, indicating a high MICP efficiency. Overall, this baseline study demonstrated that the air could be an ideal isolation source for ureolytic bacteria and laid a new pathway for MICP applications. More investigations on the performance of airborne bacteria under changeable environments may be required to further examine their survivability and adaptability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meiqi Chen
- Laboratory of Biotechnology for Resources Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Sivakumar Gowthaman
- Department of Engineering Technology, Faculty of Technology, University of Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Sri Lanka
| | - Kazunori Nakashima
- Laboratory of Biotechnology for Resources Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Chikara Takano
- Laboratory of Biotechnology for Resources Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Satoru Kawasaki
- Laboratory of Biotechnology for Resources Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
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3
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Wang C, Smith GR, Gao C, Peay KG. Dispersal changes soil bacterial interactions with fungal wood decomposition. ISME COMMUNICATIONS 2023; 3:44. [PMID: 37137953 PMCID: PMC10156657 DOI: 10.1038/s43705-023-00253-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2022] [Revised: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Although microbes are the major agent of wood decomposition - a key component of the carbon cycle - the degree to which microbial community dynamics affect this process is unclear. One key knowledge gap is the extent to which stochastic variation in community assembly, e.g. due to historical contingency, can substantively affect decomposition rates. To close this knowledge gap, we manipulated the pool of microbes dispersing into laboratory microcosms using rainwater sampled across a transition zone between two vegetation types with distinct microbial communities. Because the laboratory microcosms were initially identical this allowed us to isolate the effect of changing microbial dispersal directly on community structure, biogeochemical cycles and wood decomposition. Dispersal significantly affected soil fungal and bacterial community composition and diversity, resulting in distinct patterns of soil nitrogen reduction and wood mass loss. Correlation analysis showed that the relationship among soil fungal and bacterial community, soil nitrogen reduction and wood mass loss were tightly connected. These results give empirical support to the notion that dispersal can structure the soil microbial community and through it ecosystem functions. Future biogeochemical models including the links between soil microbial community and wood decomposition may improve their precision in predicting wood decomposition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510650, China
| | - Gabriel Reuben Smith
- Global Ecosystem Ecology, Department of Environmental Systems Science, Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zürich, Zürich, 8092, Switzerland
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Cheng Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China
| | - Kabir G Peay
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
- Department of Earth System Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
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Mulec J, Skok S, Tomazin R, Letić J, Pliberšek T, Stopinšek S, Simčič S. Long-Term Monitoring of Bioaerosols in an Environment without UV and Desiccation Stress, an Example from the Cave Postojnska Jama, Slovenia. Microorganisms 2023; 11:microorganisms11030809. [PMID: 36985383 PMCID: PMC10053050 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11030809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Revised: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
A natural cave environment subject to regular human visitation was selected for aerobiological study to minimize the effects of severe temperature fluctuations, UV radiation, and desiccation stress on the aerobiome. The longer sampling period of bioaerosols, up to 22 months, was generally not associated with a proportionally incremental and cumulative increase of microbial biomass. The culture-independent biomass indicator ATP enabled quick and reliable determination of the total microbial biomass. Total airborne microbial biomass was influenced by human visitation to the cave, as confirmed by significantly higher concentrations being observed along tourist footpaths (p < 0.05). Airborne beta-glucans (BG) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) are present in cave air, but their impact on the cave remains to be evaluated. Staphylococcus spp., as an indicator of human presence, was detected at all sites studied. Their long-term survival decrease is likely due to high relative humidity, low temperature, the material to which they adhere, and potentially natural elevated radon concentration. The most commonly recorded species were: S. saprophyticus, which was identified in 52% of the studied sites, S. equorum in 29%, and S. warneri in 24% of the studied sites. Only a few isolates were assigned to Risk group 2: S. aureus, S. epidermidis, S. haemolyticus, S. pasteuri, and S. saprophyticus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janez Mulec
- Karst Research Institute, Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Titov Trg 2, SI-6230 Postojna, Slovenia
- UNESCO Chair on Karst Education, University of Nova Gorica, Glavni Trg 8, SI-5271 Vipava, Slovenia
| | - Sara Skok
- Karst Research Institute, Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Titov Trg 2, SI-6230 Postojna, Slovenia
| | - Rok Tomazin
- Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Zaloška Cesta 4, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Jasmina Letić
- Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Zaloška Cesta 4, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Tadej Pliberšek
- Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Zaloška Cesta 4, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Sanja Stopinšek
- Health Center Hrastnik, Novi Dom 11, SI-1430 Hrastnik, Slovenia
| | - Saša Simčič
- Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Zaloška Cesta 4, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
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Xue F, Yang Y, Zou S, Zhang Y, Yue D, Zhao Y, Lai S. Characterization of airborne bacteria and fungi at a land-sea transition site in Southern China. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 849:157786. [PMID: 35926597 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Revised: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Airborne microbe can have impact on regional to global climate as ice nuclei and cloud condensation nuclei. In coastal region, microbial aerosols are simultaneously contributed by terrestrial and marine sources under the influence of land-sea air exchange. We present a study on the characteristics of airborne bacteria and fungi, including their concentrations and communities, at a land-sea transition site in Southern China from December 2019 to December 2020. Seasonal variations of microbial communities were observed with evident profiles in summer, especially for fungal aerosols. The significant enhancement of Basidiomycota abundance in summer was contributed by local biogenic release under the influence of meteorological factors. Terrestrial sources are suggested as the dominant contributors to both bacterial and fungal aerosols rather than marine sources during the whole year period. Source-tracking analysis identified that marine contributions to airborne bacteria and fungi were 3.1-14.2 % and 4-24 %, respectively. It suggests that airborne fungi should be more suitable for long-range transport than airborne bacteria. This study improves the understanding of the conversional contribution of marine and terrestrial sources to airborne microbes in coastal region and the influencing environmental factors under land-sea exchange.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feihong Xue
- School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory, Zhuhai 519000, China
| | - Ying Yang
- School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory, Zhuhai 519000, China
| | - Shichun Zou
- School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory, Zhuhai 519000, China.
| | - Yingyi Zhang
- School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China.
| | - Dingli Yue
- Ecological and Environmental Monitoring Center of Guangdong Province, State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Regional Air Quality Monitoring, Guangzhou 510308, China
| | - Yan Zhao
- Ecological and Environmental Monitoring Center of Western Zhuhai, Zhuhai 519000, China
| | - Senchao Lai
- School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
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Fan L, Han X, Wang X, Li L, Gong S, Qi J, Li X, Ge T, Liu H, Ye D, Cao Y, Liu M, Sun Z, Su L, Yao X, Wang X. Levels, distributions and influential factors of residential airborne culturable bacteria in 12 Chinese cities: Multicenter on-site survey among dwellings. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 212:113425. [PMID: 35561831 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.113425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Revised: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Residential airborne culturable bacteria (RAB) are commonly used to assess indoor microbial loads, which is a very effective and recognized indicator of public concern about residential air quality. Many countries and organizations have set exposure limits for residential bacteria. Nevertheless, few studies have been conducted in multicenter cities about the distribution and influencing factors of RAB. It is a challenge to investigate the distribution of RAB and identify the association between indoor influencing variables and RAB in China. The current finding implied the comparative results from a one-year on-site survey of 12 cities in China. The concentration of RAB ranged from 0 CFU/m3 to 18,078 CFU/m3, with an arithmetic median of 350 CFU/m3. RAB concentrations were more in the warm season than those in the cold season, and were more in the bedrooms than those in the living rooms. Indoor environmental indicators (including PM2.5 and PM10) showed the mediating role in the process of temperature and relative humidity effects on RAB. . Influential factors including family-related information (income), architectural characteristics (house type, building history, living floor, the layers of window glass, and decoration) and lifestyle behaviors (heating, new furniture, incense-burned, insecticides-used, air condition-used, and plants-growed) were related with the concentration of RAB. This study presents essential data on the distribution of RAB in some Chinese cities, and reveals the residential influential factors that might minimize health risk from RAB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Fan
- China CDC Key Laboratory of Environment and Population Health, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Xu Han
- China CDC Key Laboratory of Environment and Population Health, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Xinqi Wang
- China CDC Key Laboratory of Environment and Population Health, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Li Li
- China CDC Key Laboratory of Environment and Population Health, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Shuhan Gong
- China CDC Key Laboratory of Environment and Population Health, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Jing Qi
- China CDC Key Laboratory of Environment and Population Health, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Xu Li
- China CDC Key Laboratory of Environment and Population Health, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Tanxi Ge
- China CDC Key Laboratory of Environment and Population Health, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Hang Liu
- China CDC Key Laboratory of Environment and Population Health, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Dan Ye
- China CDC Key Laboratory of Environment and Population Health, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Yun Cao
- China CDC Key Laboratory of Environment and Population Health, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Mengmeng Liu
- China CDC Key Laboratory of Environment and Population Health, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Zongke Sun
- China CDC Key Laboratory of Environment and Population Health, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Liqin Su
- China CDC Key Laboratory of Environment and Population Health, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Xiaoyuan Yao
- China CDC Key Laboratory of Environment and Population Health, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Xianliang Wang
- China CDC Key Laboratory of Environment and Population Health, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100021, China.
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7
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Long-Term Studies of Biological Components of Atmospheric Aerosol: Trends and Variability. ATMOSPHERE 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/atmos13050651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Background: Biological components of atmospheric aerosol affect the quality of atmospheric air. Long-term trends in changes of the concentrations of total protein (a universal marker of the biogenic component of atmospheric aerosol) and culturable microorganisms in the air are studied. Methods: Atmospheric air samples are taken at two locations in the south of Western Siberia and during airborne sounding of the atmosphere. Sample analysis is carried out in the laboratory using standard culture methods (culturable microorganisms) and the fluorescence method (total protein). Results: Negative trends in the average annual concentration of total protein and culturable microorganisms in the air are revealed over more than 20 years of observations. For the concentration of total protein and culturable microorganisms in the air, intra-annual dynamics is revealed. The ratio of the maximum and minimum values of these concentrations reaches an order of magnitude. The variability of concentrations does not exceed, as a rule, two times for total protein and three times for culturable microorganisms. At the same time, for the data obtained in the course of airborne sounding of the atmosphere, a high temporal stability of the vertical profiles of the studied concentrations was found. The detected biodiversity of culturable microorganisms in atmospheric air samples demonstrates a very high variability at all observation sites. Conclusions: The revealed long-term changes in the biological components of atmospheric aerosol result in a decrease in their contribution to the atmospheric air quality index.
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González-Martín C, Pérez-González CJ, González-Toril E, Expósito FJ, Aguilera Á, Díaz JP. Airborne Bacterial Community Composition According to Their Origin in Tenerife, Canary Islands. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:732961. [PMID: 34737729 PMCID: PMC8563076 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.732961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Microorganisms are ubiquitous in the environment, and the atmosphere is no exception. However, airborne bacterial communities are some of the least studied. Increasing our knowledge about these communities and how environmental factors shape them is key to understanding disease outbreaks and transmission routes. We describe airborne bacterial communities at two different sites in Tenerife, La Laguna (urban, 600 m.a.s.l.) and Izaña (high mountain, 2,400 m.a.s.l.), and how they change throughout the year. Illumina MiSeq sequencing was used to target 16S rRNA genes in 293 samples. Results indicated a predominance of Proteobacteria at both sites (>65%), followed by Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, and Firmicutes. Gammaproteobacteria were the most frequent within the Proteobacteria phylum during spring and winter, while Alphaproteobacteria dominated in the fall and summer. Within the 519 genera identified, Cellvibrio was the most frequent during spring (35.75%) and winter (30.73%); Limnobacter (24.49%) and Blastomonas (19.88%) dominated in the summer; and Sediminibacterium represented 10.26 and 12.41% of fall and winter samples, respectively. Sphingomonas was also identified in 17.15% of the fall samples. These five genera were more abundant at the high mountain site, while other common airborne bacteria were more frequent at the urban site (Kocuria, Delftia, Mesorhizobium, and Methylobacterium). Diversity values showed different patterns for both sites, with higher values during the cooler seasons in Izaña, whereas the opposite was observed in La Laguna. Regarding wind back trajectories, Tropical air masses were significantly different from African ones at both sites, showing the highest diversity and characterized by genera regularly associated with humans (Pseudomonas, Sphingomonas, and Cloacibacterium), as well as others related to extreme conditions (Alicyclobacillus) or typically associated with animals (Lachnospiraceae). Marine and African air masses were consistent and very similar in their microbial composition. By contrast, European trajectories were dominated by Cellvibrio, Pseudomonas, Pseudoxanthomonas, and Sediminibacterium. These data contribute to our current state of knowledge in the field of atmospheric microbiology. However, future studies are needed to increase our understanding of the influence of different environmental factors on atmospheric microbial dispersion and the potential impact of airborne microorganisms on ecosystems and public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina González-Martín
- Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias, Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
| | - Carlos J. Pérez-González
- Departamento de Matemáticas, Estadística e Investigación Operativa, Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
| | - Elena González-Toril
- Centro de Astrobiología (INTA-CSIC), Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial, Torrejón de Ardoz, Spain
| | | | - Ángeles Aguilera
- Centro de Astrobiología (INTA-CSIC), Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial, Torrejón de Ardoz, Spain
| | - Juan P. Díaz
- Departamento de Física, Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
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Higher Number of Yeast-like Fungi in the Air in 2018 after an Emergency Discharge of Raw Sewage to the Gulf of Gdańsk—Use of Contingency Tables. Symmetry (Basel) 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/sym13081522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the differences between the number of yeast-like fungi and molds in the coastal air of five coastal towns of the Gulf of Gdańsk in 2014–2017 vs. 2018, which saw an emergency discharge of sewage. In 2014–2017, a total of 62 duplicate samples were collected in the coastal towns of Hel, Puck, Gdynia, Sopot, and Gdańsk-Brzeźno. In 2018, after the emergency disposal of raw sewage, 26 air samples were collected. A Pearson chi-squared test of independence showed that during 2018 in Hel and Sopot, the mean number of molds and yeast-like fungi was higher than in 2014–2017. The result was significantly positive, p ≤ 2.22 × 10−16. The analysis of the General Asymptotic Symmetry Test showed that in Puck and Gdańsk-Brzeźno, the average number of Aspergillus sp. mold fungi was higher in 2018 after an emergency discharge of sewage into the Gulf of Gdańsk compared to the period 2014–2017. The result was not statistically significant. In addition, the average number of Penicillium sp. molds in 2018 in Gdańsk-Brzeźno was higher than in 2014–2017, but statistically insignificant (p = 0.9593). In 2018, the average number of Cladosporium sp. molds in Sopot was higher, but also statistically insignificant (p = 0.2114) compared to 2014–2017. Our results indicate that the study of the number of yeast-like fungi in the air may indicate coastal areas that may be particularly at risk of bacterial or mycological pathogens, e.g., after an emergency discharge of raw sewage.
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Fragola M, Perrone MR, Alifano P, Talà A, Romano S. Seasonal Variability of the Airborne Eukaryotic Community Structure at a Coastal Site of the Central Mediterranean. Toxins (Basel) 2021; 13:518. [PMID: 34437389 PMCID: PMC8402549 DOI: 10.3390/toxins13080518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2021] [Revised: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The atmosphere represents an underexplored temporary habitat for airborne microbial communities such as eukaryotes, whose taxonomic structure changes across different locations and/or regions as a function of both survival conditions and sources. A preliminary dataset on the seasonal dependence of the airborne eukaryotic community biodiversity, detected in PM10 samples collected from July 2018 to June 2019 at a coastal site representative of the Central Mediterranean, is provided in this study. Viridiplantae and Fungi were the most abundant eukaryotic kingdoms. Streptophyta was the prevailing Viridiplantae phylum, whilst Ascomycota and Basidiomycota were the prevailing Fungi phyla. Brassica and Panicum were the most abundant Streptophyta genera in winter and summer, respectively, whereas Olea was the most abundant genus in spring and autumn. With regards to Fungi, Botrytis and Colletotrichum were the most abundant Ascomycota genera, reaching the highest abundance in spring and summer, respectively, while Cryptococcus and Ustilago were the most abundant Basidiomycota genera, and reached the highest abundance in winter and spring, respectively. The genus community structure in the PM10 samples varied day-by-day, and mainly along with the seasons. The impact of long-range transported air masses on the same structure was also proven. Nevertheless, rather few genera were significantly correlated with meteorological parameters and PM10 mass concentrations. The PCoA plots and non-parametric Spearman's rank-order correlation coefficients showed that the strongest correlations generally occurred between parameters reaching high abundances/values in the same season or PM10 sample. Moreover, the screening of potential pathogenic fungi allowed us to detect seven potential pathogenic genera in our PM10 samples. We also found that, with the exception of Panicum and Physcomitrella, all of the most abundant and pervasive identified Streptophyta genera could serve as potential sources of aeroallergens in the studied area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mattia Fragola
- Department of Mathematics and Physics, University of Salento, Via per Arnesano, 73100 Lecce, Italy; (M.F.); (M.R.P.)
| | - Maria Rita Perrone
- Department of Mathematics and Physics, University of Salento, Via per Arnesano, 73100 Lecce, Italy; (M.F.); (M.R.P.)
| | - Pietro Alifano
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies, University of Salento, Via Monteroni, 73100 Lecce, Italy; (P.A.); (A.T.)
| | - Adelfia Talà
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies, University of Salento, Via Monteroni, 73100 Lecce, Italy; (P.A.); (A.T.)
| | - Salvatore Romano
- Department of Mathematics and Physics, University of Salento, Via per Arnesano, 73100 Lecce, Italy; (M.F.); (M.R.P.)
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11
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Calderón-Ezquerro MDC, Serrano-Silva N, Brunner-Mendoza C. Aerobiological study of bacterial and fungal community composition in the atmosphere of Mexico City throughout an annual cycle. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2021; 278:116858. [PMID: 33740598 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.116858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2020] [Revised: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 02/27/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The atmosphere as a temporary habitat for airborne microbial communities is a valuable topic to explore, and it is through aerobiological studies that the diversity of biological particles and their release, emission, transport, deposition, and impact are assessed. Specific microorganisms are involved in meteorological processes, and phytosanitary and public health concerns. Airborne microbial composition is related to factors such as geographic region and weather conditions. In this study a metagenomic approach was used to determine the composition of bacterial and fungal communities in the air of two different land-use areas (urban area and semi-rural area), during dry and rainy seasons in Mexico City. Air sampling was carried out with a Hirst-type spore trap, collecting the samples simultaneously in both study areas. Forty-two bioaerosol samples were collected, and the DNA obtained was sequenced using Next-Generation Sequencing. The results indicated that the bacterial communities were represented mainly by the phyla Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Cyanobacteria, and the fungal communities by the phyla Ascomycota followed by Basidiomycota. The evident changes in microbial composition were related more to seasonality than to locality, since both UA and SRA showed a high degree of urbanization, despite some differences in land use. Continuous monitoring of atmospheric bioaerosols is essential to determine the influence of meteorological factors on the composition of the aerial microbiota.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Del Carmen Calderón-Ezquerro
- Departamento de Ciencias Ambientales, Centro de Ciencias de la Atmósfera, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Circuito Exterior s/n, Coyoacán, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510, Mexico City, Mexico.
| | - Nancy Serrano-Silva
- Departamento de Ciencias Ambientales, Centro de Ciencias de la Atmósfera, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Circuito Exterior s/n, Coyoacán, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Carolina Brunner-Mendoza
- Departamento de Ciencias Ambientales, Centro de Ciencias de la Atmósfera, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Circuito Exterior s/n, Coyoacán, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510, Mexico City, Mexico; Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Medicina, UNAM, Circuito Exterior s/n, Coyoacán, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510, Mexico City, Mexico
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Maipas S, Panayiotides IG, Tsiodras S, Kavantzas N. COVID-19 Pandemic and Environmental Health: Effects and the Immediate Need for a Concise Risk Analysis. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH INSIGHTS 2021; 15:1178630221996352. [PMID: 33642862 PMCID: PMC7894687 DOI: 10.1177/1178630221996352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
COVID-19 pandemic, as another disease emerging in the interface between animals and humans, has revealed the importance of interdisciplinary collaborations such as the One Health initiative. Environmental Health, whose role in the One Health concept is well established, has been associated with COVID-19 pandemic via various direct and indirect pathways. Modern lifestyle, climate change, environmental degradation, exposure to chemicals such as endocrine disruptors, and exposure to psychological stress factors impact human health negatively. As a result, many people are in the disadvantageous position to face the pandemic with an already impaired immune system due to their exposure to environmental health hazards. Moreover, the ongoing pandemic has been associated with outdoor and indoor air pollution, water and noise pollution, food security, and plastic pollution issues. Also, the inadequate infrastructure, the lack of proper waste and wastewater management, and the unequal social vulnerability reveal more linkages between Environmental Health and COVID-19 pandemic. The significant emerging ecological risk and its subsequent health implications require immediate risk analysis and risk communication strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sotirios Maipas
- Master Program “Environment and Health. Management of Environmental Health Effects,” Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
- 1st Department of Pathology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens General Hospital “Laikon,” Athens, Greece
| | - Ioannis G Panayiotides
- Master Program “Environment and Health. Management of Environmental Health Effects,” Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
- 2nd Department of Pathology, “Attikon” University Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Sotirios Tsiodras
- 4th Department of Internal Medicine, “Attikon” University Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Nikolaos Kavantzas
- Master Program “Environment and Health. Management of Environmental Health Effects,” Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
- 1st Department of Pathology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens General Hospital “Laikon,” Athens, Greece
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