Onshore Wind Speed Modulates Microbial Aerosols along an Urban Waterfront

Atmosphere

Joaquín Martínez Martínez¹  M. Elias Dueker²  Kathleen C. Weathers³  Andrew R. Juhl⁴  Gregory D. O’Mullan⁵ 

[1] Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, 60 Bigelow Drive, P.O. Box 380, East Boothbay, ME 04544, USA;Biology Program & Environmental and Urban Studies Program, Bard College, Campus Road, PO Box 5000, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY 12504, USA;Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Box AB, Millbrook, NY 12545-0129, USA;Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University, 61 Route 9W, Palisades, NY 10964, USA;School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, City University of New York Queens College, 65-30 Kissena Blvd., Flushing, NY 11367, USA;

关键词: bacteria;    virus;    viral particle;    air quality;    water quality;    coastal;   

DOI  :  10.3390/atmos8110215

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Wind blowing over aquatic and terrestrial surfaces produces aerosols, which include microbial aerosols. We studied the effect of onshore wind speeds on aerosol concentrations as well as total and culturable microbial aerosols (bacterial and viral) at an urban waterfront (New York, NY, United States of America). We used two distinct methods to characterize microbial aerosol responses to wind speed: A culture-based exposure-plate method measuring viable bacterial deposition near-shore (CFU accumulation rate); and a culture-independent aerosol sampler-based method measuring total bacterial and viral aerosols (cells m−3 air). While ambient coarse (>2 µm) and fine (0.3–2 µm) aerosol particle number concentrations (regulated indicators of air quality) decreased with increasing onshore wind speeds, total and depositing culturable bacterial aerosols and total viral aerosols increased. Taxonomic identification of the 16S rDNA of bacterial aerosol isolates suggested both terrestrial and aquatic sources. Wind appears to increase microbial aerosol number concentrations in the near-shore environment by onshore transport at low wind speeds (<4 m s−1), and increased local production and transport of new microbial aerosols from adjacent water surfaces at higher wind speeds (>4 m s−1). This study demonstrates a wind-modulated microbial connection between water and air in the coastal urban environment, with implications for public health management and urban microbial ecology.

【 授权许可】

Unknown