Abstract
In China, air pollution has become a significant environmental threat to human health in recent years. Airborne bacteria are critical constituents of microbial aerosols, which contain numerous pathogens. However, the effects of seasonal variations, environmental factors such as air pollution, and meteorological factors on microbial diversity are poorly understood. In this study, fine particulate matter (PM2.5) samples (n = 12) were collected using a high-volume air sampler over 24-hour periods during all four seasons from April 2017 to January 2018. Concurrently, the average daily concentrations of various air pollutants and the meteorological conditions were monitored. High-throughput sequencing of 16s rRNA was then employed to profile PM2.5 bacterial communities. The results showed that the bacterial communities varied significantly by season. Proteobacteria (35.5%), Firmicutes (23.0%), and Actinobacteria (16.2%) were the most abundant bacterial phyla in the PM2.5 samples. At the genus level, the diversity of the bacterial communities was significantly correlated with the ozone (O3) concentration (r = 0.920, p = 0.001) and air temperature (T) (r = 0.534, p = 0.023). The results of this study can be used as a reference by other bioaerosol research that focuses on the health effects of atmospheric particulate matter.
Highlights
Air pollution is a significant environmental threat to human health
This study demonstrated that the PM2.5 bacterial community in Xinxiang, Central China, possessed the highest species richness during spring and the highest diversity during summer and analyzed the relationship between the microbial community structure and environmental factors
The results showed that the variations in the bacterial community composition and structure were significantly related to the season
Summary
Air pollution is a significant environmental threat to human health. Numerous epidemiological and clinical studies have documented that exposure to particulate matter (PM) is associated with various adverse health effects (WHO, 2013). PM2.5 has a diverse range of components, including sulfates, nitrates, metal ions, organic compounds, and microbes (He et al, 2001; Després et al, 2012). Particles of this size are more likely to penetrate and deposit deeper. Airborne microorganisms may be influenced by air pollutants, the season, and other meteorological factors (Fang et al, 2008; Gao et al, 2015; Hu et al, 2015). Meteorological factors, such as temperature (T), relative humidity (RH), and wind speed, influence PM2.5 bacteria.
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