Seasonal Distribution of Bioaerosols in the Coastal Region of Qingdao

Bioaerosols were collected by using a six-stage bioaerosols sampler from September 2007 to August 2008 in the coastal region of Qingdao, China. The terrestrial and marine microbes(including bacteria and fungi) were analyzed in order to understand the distribution features of bioaerosols. The results show that the average monthly concentrations of terrestrial bacteria, marine bacteria, terrestrial fungi and marine fungi are in the ranges of 80–615 CFU m-3, 91–468 CFU m-3, 76–647 CFU m-3 and 231–1959 CFU m-3, respectively. The concentrations of terrestrial bacteria, marine bacteria, terrestrial fungi, marine fungi and total microbes are the highest in each microbial category during fall, high in spring, and the lowest in the summer and winter. The bacterial particles are coarse in spring, autumn and winter. The sizes of fungal particle present the log-normal distribution in all the seasons.

Spatiotemporal Variations of Bioaerosols in the Vicinity of an Animal Feeding Operation Facility in the US

Bioaerosol emissions from animal feeding operation (AFO) facilities are of increasing interest due to the magnitude of the emissions and their potential health effect on local communities. There is limited information about fate and transport of AFO bioaerosol emissions. In this study, concentrations of airborne bacteria and fungi were measured at four ambient stations in four wind directions surrounding an egg production farm through winter, spring and summer using Andersen six-stage samplers. Mean concentrations of ambient bacteria and fungi ranged from 8.7 × 102 CFU m-3 to 1.3 × 103 CFU m-3 and from 2.8 × 102 CFU m-3 to 1.4 × 103 CFU m-3, respectively. Ambient bacterial concentrations were not significantly different over the seasons, while ambient fungal concentrations were the highest in summer and the lowest in winter. There were significant differences between downwind and upwind bacterial concentrations (p < 0.0001). Downwind bacterial and fungal concentrations responded differently to the influencing factors. Bacterial concentrations were quadratically correlated with wind vector (combined effects of wind speed and direction) and emission rate, were positively correlated with temperature, and were negatively correlated with solar radiation. Fungal concentrations were positively correlated with temperature, RH, and emission rate, and were negatively correlated with wind vector.

Alteration of the health effects of bioaerosols by chemical modification in the atmosphere:A review

Bioaerosols are a subset of important airborne particulates that present a substantial human health hazard due to their allergenicity and infectivity.Chemical reactions in atmospheric processes can significantly influence the health hazard presented by bioaerosols;however,few studies have summarized such alterations to bioaerosols and the mechanisms involved.In this paper,we systematically review the chemical modifications of bioaerosols and the impact on their health effects,mainly focusing on the exacerbation of allergic diseases such as asthma,rhinitis,and bronchitis.Oxidation,nitration,and oligomerization induced by hydroxyl radicals,ozone,and nitrogen dioxide are the major chemical modifications affecting bioaerosols,all of which can aggravate allergenicity mainly through immunoglobulin E pathways.Such processes can even interact with climate change including the greenhouse effect,suggesting the importance of bioaerosols in the future implementation of carbon neutralization strategies.In summary,the chemical modification of bioaerosols and the subsequent impact on health hazards indicate that the combined management of both chemical and biological components is required to mitigate the health hazards of particulate air pollution.

Recent progress in online detection methods of bioaerosols

The aerosol transmission of coronavirus disease in 2019,along with the spread of other respiratory diseases,caused significant loss of life and property;it impressed upon us the importance of real-time bioaerosol detection.The complexity,diversity,and large spatiotemporal variability of bioaerosols and their external/internal mixing with abiotic components pose challenges for effective online bioaerosol monitoring.Traditional methods focus on directly capturing bioaerosols before subsequent time-consuming laboratory analysis such as culture-based methods,preventing the high-resolution time-based characteristics necessary for an online approach.Through a comprehensive literature assessment,this review highlights and discusses the most commonly used real-time bioaerosol monitoring techniques and the associated commercially available monitors.Methods applied in online bioaerosol monitoring,including adenosine triphosphate bioluminescence,laser/light-induced fluorescence spectroscopy,Raman spectroscopy,and bioaerosol mass spectrometry are summarized.The working principles,characteristics,sensitivities,and efficiencies of these real-time detection methods are compared to understand their responses to known particle types and to contrast their differences.Approaches developed to analyze the substantial data sets obtained by these instruments and to overcome the limitations of current real-time bioaerosol monitoring technologies are also introduced.Finally,an outlook is proposed for future instrumentation indicating a need for highly revolutionized bioaerosol detection technologies.

Comparison of optical properties of bioaerosols composed of microbial spores and hyphae[Invited]

Bioaerosols exhibit significant broadband extinction performance and have vital impacts on climate change,optical detection,communication,disease transmission,and the development of optical attenuation materials.Microbial spores and microbial hyphae represent two primary forms of bioaerosol particles.However,a comprehensive investigation and comparison of their optical properties have not been conducted yet.In this paper,the spectra of spores and hyphae were tested,and the absorption peaks,component contents,and protein structural differences were compared.Accurate structural models were established,and the optical attenuation parameters were calculated.Aerosol chamber experiments were conducted to verify the optical attenuation performance of microbial spores and hyphae in the mid-infrared and far-infrared spectral bands.Results demonstrate that selecting spores and hyphae can significantly reduce the average transmittance from 21.2%to 6.4%in the mid-infrared band and from 31.3%to 19.6%in the far-infrared band within three minutes.The conclusions have significant implications for the selection of high-performance microbial optical attenuation materials as well as for the rapid detection of bioaerosol types in research on climate change and the spread of pathogenic aerosols.

CHARACTERIZATIONS AND RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN OUTDOOR AND INDOOR BIOAEROSOLS IN AN OFFICE BUILDING

Characterizations and relationships between indoor and outdoor bioaerosols were examined in an occupied office building, equipped with an air conditioning (HVAC) system, in Tempe, Arizona, USA. A two-stage microbial air sampler was used to collect bioaerosols both inside and outside the office at fixed locations in space and at regular time intervals from August to December, 2000. Simultaneous measurements of bioaerosol, temperature, relative humidity, light intensity and wind speed were performed to explore the effects of environmental factors on bioaerosol levels. Twenty species of airborne bacteria and four genera of airborne fungi were found in our samples. The particle sizes of most outdoor and indoor bioaerosols were larger than 8.0 mm. According to the measurements of sampling days, the concentrations of outdoor bioaerosols were highest in the morning, but declined in the afternoon and reached the lowest point in the evening. The concentration peak of indoor bioaerosol (especially at the lower level) occurred in the evening, suggesting that the concentration of indoor bioaerosols follows that of outdoors, but with a time delay due to the lag associated with indoor-outdoor air exchange. With regard to the effects of four environmental factors temperature, relative humidity, light intensity, and wind speed, the relative humidity had the most pronounced influence on the outdoor bioaerosol concentrations with the number of bacteria and fungi increasing sharply on a day of high relative humidity in the desert area.

Sulfur dioxide and o-xylene co-treatment in biofilter：Performance, bacterial populations and bioaerosols emissions

Sulfur dioxide（SO_2） and benzene homologs are frequently present in the off-gas during the process of sewage sludge drying. A laboratory scale biofilter was set up to co-treat SO_2 and o-xylene in the present study. SO_2 and o-xylene could be removed simultaneously in a single biofilter. Their concentration ratio in the inlet stream influenced the removal efficiencies. It is worth noting that the removal of SO_2 could be enhanced when low concentrations of o-xylene were introduced into the biofilter. Pseudomonas sp., Paenibacillus sp., and Bacillus sp. were the main functional bacteria groups in the biofilter. Sulfur-oxidizing bacteria（SOB） and o-xylene-degrading bacteria（XB） thrived in the biofilter and their counts as well as their growth rate increased with the increase in amount of SO2 and o-xylene supplied. The microbial populations differed in counts and species due to the properties and components of the compounds being treated in the biofilter. The presence of mixed substrates enhanced the diversity of the microbial population. During the treatment process, bioaerosols including potentially pathogenic bacteria, e.g., Acinetobacter lwoffii and Aeromonas sp., were emitted from the biofilter. Further investigation is needed to focus on the potential hazards caused by the bioaerosols emitted from waste gas treatment bioreactors.

Reduction and characterization of bioaerosols in a wastewater treatment station via ventilation

Bioaerosols from wastewater treatment processes are a significant subgroup of atmospheric aerosols. In the present study,airborne microorganisms generated from a wastewater treatment station（WWTS） that uses an oxidation ditch process were diminished by ventilation.Conventional sampling and detection methods combined with cloning/sequencing techniques were applied to determine the groups,concentrations,size distributions,and species diversity of airborne microorganisms before and after ventilation. There were 3021 ± 537 CFU/m3 of airborne bacteria and 926 ± 132 CFU/m3 of airborne fungi present in the WWTS bioaerosol.Results showed that the ventilation reduced airborne microorganisms significantly compared to the air in the WWTS. Over 60% of airborne bacteria and airborne fungi could be reduced after4 hr of air exchange. The highest removal（92.1% for airborne bacteria and 89.1% for fungi） was achieved for 0.65–1.1 μm sized particles. The bioaerosol particles over 4.7 μm were also reduced effectively. Large particles tended to be lost by gravitational settling and small particles were generally carried away,which led to the relatively easy reduction of bioaerosol particles0.65–1.1 μm and over 4.7 μm in size. An obvious variation occurred in the structure of the bacterial communities when ventilation was applied to control the airborne microorganisms in enclosed spaces.

Quantification of multi-antibiotic resistant opportunistic pathogenic bacteria in bioaerosols in and around a pharmaceutical wastewater treatment plant

Pharmaceutical wastewater treatment plants（WWTPs） are thought to be a ＂seedbed＂ and reservoirs for multi-antibiotic resistant pathogenic bacteria which can be transmitted to the air environment through aeration. We quantified airborne multi-antibiotic resistance in a full-scale plant to treat antibiotics-producing wastewater by collecting bioaerosol samples from December2014 to July 2015. Gram-negative opportunistic pathogenic bacteria（GNOPB） were isolated, and antibiotic susceptibility tests against 18 commonly used antibiotics, including 11 β-lactam antibiotics, 3 aminoglycosides, 2 fluoroquinolones, 1 furan and 1 sulfonamide, were conducted.More than 45% of airborne bacteria isolated from the pharmaceutical WWTP were resistant to three or more antibiotics, and some opportunistic pathogenic strains were resistant to 16 antibiotics, whereas 45.3% and 50.3% of the strains isolated from residential community and municipal WWTP showed resistance to three or more antibiotics. The calculation of the multiple antibiotic resistance（MAR） index demonstrated that the air environment in the pharmaceutical WWTP was highly impacted by antibiotic resistance, while the residential community and municipal WWTP was less impacted by antibiotic resistance. In addition, we determined that the dominant genera of opportunistic pathogenic bacteria isolated from all bioaerosol samples were Acinetobacter, Alcaligenes, Citrobacter, Enterobacter, Escherichia, Klebsiella, Pantoea, Pseudomonas and Sphingomonas. Collectively, these results indicate the proliferations and spread of antibiotic resistance through bioaerosols in WWTP treating cephalosporin-producing wastewater, which imposed a potential health risk for the staff and residents in the neighborhood, calling for administrative measures to minimize the air-transmission hazard.

The source and transport of bioaerosols in the air:A review

Recent pandemic outbreak of the corona-virus disease 2019(COVID-19)has raised widespread concerns about the importance of the bioaerosols.They are atmospheric aerosol particles of biological origins,mainly including bacteria,fungi,viruses,pollen,and cell debris.Bioaerosols can exert a substantial impact on ecosystems,climate change,air quality,and public health.Here,we review several relevant topics on bioaerosols,including sampling and detection techniques,characterization,effects on health and air quality,and control methods.However,very few studies have focused on the source apportionment and transport of bioaerosols.The knowledge of the sources and transport pathways of bioaerosols is essential for a comprehensive understanding of the role microorganisms play in the atmosphere and control the spread of epidemic diseases associated with them.Therefore,this review comprehensively summarizes the up to date progress on the source characteristics,source identification,and diffusion and transport process of bioaerosols.We intercompare three types of diffusion and transport models,with a special emphasis on a widely used mathematical model.This review also highlights the main factors affecting the source emission and transport process,such as biogeographic regions,land-use types,and environmental factors.Finally,this review outlines future perspectives on bioaerosols.

Composition,dispersion,and health risks of bioaerosols in wastewater treatment plants:A review

Bioaerosols are defined as airbome particles(0.05-100 um in size)of biological origin.They are considered potentially harmful to human health as they can contain pathogens such as bacteria,fungi,and viruses.This review summarizes the most recent research on the health risks of bioaerosols emitted from wastewater treatment plants(WWTPs)in order to improve the control of such bioaerosols.The concentration and size distribution of WWTP bioaerosols;their major emission sources,composition,and health risks;and considerations for future research are discussed.The major themes and findings in the literature are as follows:the major emission sources of WWTP bioaerosols include screen rooms,sludge-dewatering rooms,and acration tanks;the bioaerosol concentrations in screen and sludge-dewatering rooms are higher than those outdoors.WWTP bioacrosols contain a variety of potentially pathogenic bacteria,fungi,antibiotic resistance genes,viruses,endotoxins,and toxic metal(loid)s.These potentially,pathogenic substances spread with the bioaerosols,thereby posing health risks to workers and residents in and around the WWTP.Inhalation has been identified as the main exposure route,and children are at a higher risk of this than adults.Future studies should identify emerging contaminants,establish health risk assessments,and develop prevention and control systems.

Six-day measurement of size-resolved indoor fluorescent bioaerosols of outdoor origin in an office

Indoor airborne bioaerosols of outdoor origin play an important role in determining the exposure of humans to bioaerosols because people spend most of their time indoors. However, there are few studies focusing on indoor bioaerosols originating from outdoors. In this study, indoor versus outdoor size-resolved concentrations and particle asymmetry factors of airborne fluorescent bioaerosols in an office room were measured continuously for 6 days （144 h） using a fluorescent bioaerosol detector. The windows and door of this room were closed to ensure that there was only air infiltration; moreover, any human activities were ceased during sampling to inhibit effects of indoor sources. We focused on fine particles, since few coarse particles enter indoor environments, when windows and doors are closed. Both indoor and outdoor fluorescent bioaerosol size distributions were fit with two-mode lognormal distributions （indoor R2 = 0.935, outdoor R2 = 0.938）. Asymmetry factor distributions were also fit with lognormal distributions （indoor R2 = 0.992, outdoor R2 = 0.992）. Correlations between indoor and outdoor fluorescent bioaerosol concentrations show significant concentration-attenuation and a time lag during the study period. A two-parameter, semi-empirical model was used to predict concentrations of indoor fluorescent bioaerosols of outdoor origin. The measured and predicted concentrations had a linear relationship for the studied size fractions, with an R2 for all size fractions of larger than 0.83.

Molecular characterization of microbial communities in bioaerosols of a coal mine by 454 pyrosequencing and real-time PCR

Microbial diversity and abundance in bioaerosols of a coal mine were analyzed based on 454 pyrosequencing and real-time polymerase chain reaction（PCR）. A total of 37,191 high quality sequences were obtained and could be classified into 531, 1730 and 448 operational taxonomic units respectively for archaea, bacteria and fungi at 97% sequence similarity. The Shannon diversity index for archaea, bacteria and fungi was respectively 4.71, 6.29 and 3.86, indicating a high diversity in coal mine bioaerosols. Crenarchaeota, Proteobacteria and Ascomycota were the dominant phyla for archaea, bacteria and fungi, respectively. The concentrations of total archaea, bacteria and fungi were 1.44 × 10^8, 1.02 × 10^8 and 9.60 × 10^4cells/m^3, respectively.Methanotrophs observed in bioaerosols suggested possible methane oxidation in the coal mine. The identified potential pathogens to coal miners, such as Acinetobacter schindleri,Aeromonas cavernicola, Alternaria alternata, Aspergillus penicillioides, Cladosporium cladosporioides,and Penicillium brevicompactum were also observed. This was the first investigation of microbial diversity and abundance in coal mine bioaerosols. The investigation of microbial communities would be favorable in promoting the progress of methane control based on microbial technique and concern on coal miners＇ health.

Molecular approaches for the detection and monitoring of microbial communities in bioaerosols:A review

Bioaerosols significantly affect atmospheric processes while they undergo long-range vertical and horizontal transport and influence atmospheric chemistry and physics and climate change.Accumulating evidence suggests that exposure to bioaerosols may cause adverse health effects,including severe disease.Studies of bioaerosols have primarily focused on their chemical composition and largely neglected their biological composition and the negative effects of biological composition on ecosystems and human health.Here,current molecular methods for the identification,quantification,and distribution of bioaerosol agents are reviewed.Modern developments in environmental microbiology technology would be favorable in elucidation of microbial temporal and spatial distribution in the atmosphere at high resolution.In addition,these provide additional supports for growing evidence that microbial diversity or composition in the bioaerosol is an indispensable environmental aspect linking with public health.

Production and characterization of bioaerosols for model validation in spacecraft environment

This study aimed to evaluate the suitability of two bioaerosol generation systems（dry and wet generation） for the aerosolization of microorganisms isolated from the International Space Station, and to calibrate the produced bioaerosols to fulfill the requirements of computational fluid dynamics model（CFD） validation. Concentration, stability, size distribution, agglomeration of generated bioaerosol and deposition of bioaerosols were analyzed. In addition, the dispersion of non-viable particles in the air was studied.Experiments proved that wet generation from microbial suspensions could be used for the production of well-calibrated and stabile bioaerosols for model validation. For the simulation of the natural release of fungal spores, a dry generation method should be used. This study showed that the used CFD model simulated the spread of non-viable particles fairly well. The mathematical deposition model by Lai and Nazaroff could be used to estimate the deposition velocities of bioaerosols on surfaces, although it somewhat underestimated the measured deposition velocities.

Characterization of Bacterial Communities in Aerosols over Northern Chinese Marginal Seas and the Northwestern Pacific Ocean in Autumn

The characteristics of the bacterial community structure in aerosols of different particle sizes over northern Chinese marginal seas and the northwestern Pacific Ocean in autumn were analyzed using high-throughput sequencing and the quantitative real-time PCR method based on 16S rRNA genes.Combined with environmental factors and air mass sources,the bacterial abundance,community diversity,composition and structural characteristics in aerosols were studied,which might provide a scientific evaluation for a comprehensive understanding of the characteristics,long-distance transmission and ecological effects of aerosols from coastal waters to the distant ocean(northwestern Pacific Ocean).At the junction of the South Yellow Sea and the East China Sea,the bacterial abundance in the aerosols was substantially affected by transmission of continental air masses and was higher than those in other samples,and the bacterial abundance in coarse particle(>2.1μm)samples was significantly higher than that in fine particle(<2.1μm)samples(P<0.05).In contrast,aerosols collected at the northwestern Pacific Ocean(NWP5 site)were less affected by transmissions of continental air masses,and their bacterial abundance in coarse particle samples was significantly lower than that in fine particle samples.Significant differences in the richness and diversity of bacterial communities were observed among all samples(P<0.05).The differences in the bacterial community in different sea areas were greater than those in the same sample with different particle sizes(P>0.05).Among the environmental factors examined,a significant negative correlation was observed between bacterial community richness and temperature(P<0.05),and the bacterial community diversity was significantly positively correlated with the concentration of K^(+)(P<0.05).Canonical correspondence analysis showed that temperature,NH_(4)^(+) concentration and SO_(4)^(2−) concentration exerted significant effects on bacterial community structures(P<0.01)in aerosols of different particle sizes over northern Chinese marginal seas and the northwestern Pacific Ocean.

Origin and SEM analysis of aerosols in the high mountain of Tenerife (Canary Islands)

Focusing on aerosolized matter of relevance to respiratory health, a major public health issue worldwide, we studied mineral and biological aerosol (bioaerosol) composition (TSP and PM2.5) and geographical origins during dust intrusions in the Canary Islands. Seven days’ back- ward trajectories were assessed daily during March 2004 with the ends of back trajectories being the sampling station of Iza?a (high moun- tain, 2360 m a.s.l. at the Ca?adas del Teide National Park, Tenerife island), a free troposphere site allowing characterization of dust with low influence of other pollutant sources. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to survey major types of airborne particles in the dust plumes. Control, non-intrusion conditions correspond to Atlantic oceanic middle troposphere (OMT) air masses. Of the 14 samples taken, 1 corresponded to a control (clear atmosphere conditions), and the remaining 13 to dust intrusions, with the following sources: African Dust;EAM: mixture of Europe, Africa and Oceanic;MaA: maritime aerosols. Of the air masses, 79% were directly transported to the islands from Africa, and an increase of African dust events was detected when comparing with a 52-year previous data sequence. Quartz microcristals and aggregates of quartz and platy clay were the dominant minerals identified, with marine salt and gypsum also present. Freshwater diatom tests (from two Aulacoseira species) represented the most important biogenic aerosols, although fungi and pollen were also detected. The diverse and complex mixture of respirable particles in large quantities in airborne dust, especially from nearby Sahara and from the Sahelian region, is of maximum interest for air- way pathology in the Canaries, including the highly visited highlands in Tenerife.

Pulmonary effects of intermittent, seasonal exposure to high concentrations of cotton dust

AIM: To quantify the exposure levels and to assess pulmonary reactions associated with exposure to cotton dust and its biological contaminants.METHODS: All employees(51 male workers) of a ginning industry as well as 51 referent unexposed subjects from clerical staff of an educational center were investigated. Atmospheric concentrations of cotton dust and bioaerosols were measured. Furthermore, bacterial and fungal genera and species were identified by an expert microbiologist and an experienced mycologist. A standard respiratory symptom questionnaire was filled out for the subjects and they underwent multiple spirometry tests, at the beginning and at the end of work season as well as prior to(pre-exposure base line values) and at end of the first shift of workweek(post exposure). RESULTS: Gram negative bacteria including Enterobacter agglomerans and Pseudomonas spp. were found to be the dominant bacterial species and genera, respectively. Similarly, dominant fungi were identified tobe Mucor sp. Rhizopus sp. and Aspergillus niger. Mean atmospheric concentrations of cotton dust in ginning and outdoor areas were found to be 35.2 and 6.8 mg/m3, respectively. The prevalence rates of cough, phlegm, wheezing, dyspenea and grade 1/2 byssinosis among the exposed subjects were significantly higher than their corresponding values for the unexposed employees(P < 0.05). Additionally, significant differences were noted in the mean baseline value(preshift) of vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in the first second(FEV1)and FEV1/forced vital capacity ratio of the exposed subjects when compared with those of their referent counterparts. Similarly, significant cross shift decrements were noted in most parameters of pulmonary function of the exposed subjects.CONCLUSION: Seasonal exposure to cotton dust induces both acute, partially reversible, and chronic irreversible decrements in the lungs' functional capacities as well as increased prevalence of respiratory symptoms.

Can We Diminish Spreading of the COVID-19 Pandemic?

We hypothesized that liquid menisci occlusions may form inside small airways, travel along the airway while losing mass and finally may disintegrate into bioaerosols. Spreading of the COVID-19 virus is strongly related to the number of such bioaerosols exhaled by “super-spreaders”. We show, employing numerical methods, that this number can be diminished by administering surfactants which lower the surface-tension of the mucus which covers the airways.