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Composition and Distribution Analysis of Bioaerosols Under Different Environmental Conditions
Published on: January 7, 2019
Are we biologically safe with snow precipitation? A case study in beijing
1State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, China.
Plos One
|June 14, 2013
Summary
Snowfall carries diverse bacteria and fungi, including human pathogens, impacting local climate and health. These findings highlight snow
Area of Science:
- Environmental microbiology
- Atmospheric science
- Public health
Background:
- Snowfall can act as a medium for atmospheric deposition.
- Understanding microbial communities in snow is crucial for assessing environmental and health impacts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate bacterial and fungal communities, and physicochemical properties of snow in Beijing.
- To compare snow microbial communities with outdoor air samples.
- To assess the role of snow in transporting pathogens and influencing local climate.
Main Methods:
- Culturing snow samples at different temperatures (4, 26, 37°C).
- Analyzing bacterial diversity using 16S rRNA gene PCR-DGGE and clone libraries.
- Investigating fungal diversity via microscopy.
- Measuring conductance and total organic carbon (TOC).
- Collecting and analyzing outdoor air samples for comparison.
Main Results:
- Snow samples showed high bacterial concentrations (up to 16000 CFU/ml) and diverse microbial communities.
- Significant differences in bacterial and fungal diversity were observed between snow and air samples.
- Human, plant, and insect fungal pathogens were detected in snow but not in outdoor air.
- Culturable bacteria constituted a higher percentage of TOC in snow (3.38%) compared to air (0.01%).
Conclusions:
- Snow precipitation is a significant source of fungal pathogens and ice nucleators.
- Snowfall can influence local climate, human health, and agricultural security.
- Snow microbial communities differ substantially from those in ambient air.
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