Abstract
Occurrences and exposure to high levels of microbial bioaerosols such as pathogenic bacteria, fungi, fungal spores, and viruses can be linked to the deterioration of the environment and public health. This study aimed to review the results available for the unusual bioaerosol distribution scenario in the Asian regions. The amount of bioaerosol load and their environmental behavior in the atmosphere is heavily influenced by air pollution such as haze, fog, dust, and particulate matter (PM) and thus strongly affect the air quality index (AQI). Human factors such as heavy traffic, overcrowds, and biomass burning also affected the prevalence or occurrences of bioaerosols in the atmosphere. Seasonal/temporal and diurnal variation was significantly observed from these studies and in the case of South Asia, post-monsoon and winter months were incredibly concentrated with pathogenic bioaerosols. Many human infections, for example, pneumonia, tuberculosis, brucellosis, anthrax, and query fever (Q-fever), are linked to pathogenic bacterial bioaerosols. Respiratory diseases such as asthma and chronic pulmonary obstructiveness are related to fungal bioaerosols, spores, and viral infections. To facilitate the testing and monitoring appraisal of airborne bioaerosols, artificial intelligence, deep neural networks, and machine learning can be used to develop real-time PCR-based bioaerosol sensors. Moreover, mobile apps and compatible electronic gadgets can be developed for the city dwellers to real-time monitor the concentration of bioaerosols in the air they are breathing.
Highlights
In urban areas, global anthropogenic air pollution is pervasive (Groulx et al, 2018)
Autumn Spring Spring Summer Winter Fall Clean days Slightly polluted Haze days yellow Haze days orange Haze days red Air pollution Non-hazy days Hazy days Non-hazy days Hazy days Non-hazy days Hazy days Asian dust events in Beijing Non-Asian dust days in Beijing Asian dust events in Osaka Non-Asian dust days in Osaka Gram-positive bacteria (GPB) in biomass burning Gram-negative bacteria (GNB) in biomass burning Fungi in biomass burning Biomass burning during crop harvest
The environmental quality of Asian megacities is composed of rapid industrialization, faster urbanization, and development, followed by very high particulate matter (PM) pollution
Summary
Global anthropogenic air pollution is pervasive (Groulx et al, 2018). The rapid urbanization, industrial activities, substantial energy consumption, and economic growth are indicated by a significant increase in traffic and the worsening air quality in the developing countries (Lu et al, 2018; Yan et al, 2019). In 2020, lockdown actions to reduce COVID-19 pandemic across many Asian megacities have resulted in a substantial shift in air pollution. A growing quantity of data implying that the airborne microbial portion of the particulate matter is responsible for critically escalating adverse effects on public health (Gandolfi et al, 2013). South Asia and many other Asian megacities are currently undergoing rapid development in urban and industrial sectors and eventually deteriorating the air quality. This review aims to identify bioaerosols in relationship with PM reported from Asian megacities and their impact on human health
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