Chemical, Biological and Morphological Properties of Fine Particles during Local Rice Straw Burning Activities.

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Microbiology
• Public Health

Background:

• Open burning of rice straw post-harvest is a common agricultural practice in Asia.
• This practice significantly contributes to air pollution, impacting indoor air quality, public health, and climate change.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize the trace element composition and morphology of fine particles from rice straw burning.
• To identify bacterial species present in bioaerosols generated by rice straw combustion.

Main Methods:

• Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy Dispersive X-ray (FESEM-EDX) for particle morphology and elemental analysis.
• Inductively Coupled Plasma - Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES) for quantifying trace element concentrations.
• Culturing methods using nutrient agar for bacterial identification.

Main Results:

• Fine particles were categorized into natural and anthropogenic types.
• Zinc (Zn) was identified as a trace element, likely originating from agricultural fertilizers.
• Several bacterial species were identified, including *Exiguobacterium indicum*, *Bacillus amyloliquefaciens*, *Desulfonema limicola str. Jadabusan*, *Exiguobacterium acetylicum*, *Lysinibacillus macrolides*, and *Bacillus proteolyticus*.

Conclusions:

• Rice straw burning releases complex bioaerosols containing trace elements and diverse bacteria.
• Understanding the biological composition of these aerosols is crucial for assessing human health impacts.
• Further research into the health effects of airborne microorganisms from agricultural burning is recommended.