Airborne bacteria associated with particulate matter from a highly urbanised metropolis: A potential risk to the population’s health

• The airborne bacteria of Mexico City are representative of urban environments. • Particle material<10 µm influenced the type and quantity of airborne bacteria. • The diversity and richness of bacteria were higher in the rainy season. • The emission & transport of airborne bacteria determine the atmosphere’s microbiome. • Bacterias as Kocuria, Paracoccus, and Staphylococcus were in the air of Mexico City. Bacteria in the air present patterns in space and time produced by different sources and environmental factors. Few studies have focused on the link between airborne pathogenic bacteria in densely populated cities, and the risk to the population’s health. Bacteria associated with particulate matter (PM) were monitored from the air of Mexico City (Mexico). We employed a metagenomic approach to characterise bacteria using the 16S rRNA gene. Airborne bacteria sampling was carried out in the north, centre, and south of Mexico City, with different urbanisation rates, during 2017. Bacteria added to the particles were sampled using high-volume PM₁₀ samplers. To ascertain significant differences in bacterial diversity between zones and seasons, the Kruskal-Wallis, Wilcoxon tests were done on alpha diversity parameters. Sixty-three air samples were collected, and DNA was sequenced using next-generation sequencing. The results indicated that the bacterial phyla in the north and south of the city were Firmicutes, Cyanobacteria, Proteobacteria, and Actinobacteria, while in the central zone there were more Actinobacteria. There were no differences in the alpha diversity indices between the sampled areas. According to the OTUs, the richness of bacteria was higher in the central zone. Alpha diversity was higher in the rainy season than in the dry season; the Shannon index and the OTUs observed were higher in the central zone in the dry season. Pathogenic bacteria such as Kocuria, Paracoccus, and Micrococcus predominated in both seasonal times, while Staphylococcus, Corynebacterium, and Nocardioides were found during the rainy season, with a presence in the central zone.     

Platinum in PM2.5 of the metropolitan area of Mexico City

The increase in platinum (Pt) in the airborne particulate matter with size ≤2.5 µm (PM_2.5) in urban environments may be interpreted as result of the abrasion and deterioration of automobile catalyst. Nowadays, about four million vehicles in Mexico City use catalytic converters, which means that their impact should be considered. In order to evaluate the contribution of Pt to environmental pollution of the metropolitan area of Mexico City (MAMC), airborne PM_2.5 was collected at five different sites in the urban area (NW, NE, C, SW, SE) in 2011 during April (dry-warm season), August (rainy season) and December (dry-cold season). Analytical determinations were carried out using a ICP-MS with a collision cell and kinetic energy discrimination. The analytical and instrument performance was evaluated with standard road dust reference material (BCR-723). Median Pt concentration in the analyzed particulate was is 38.4 pg m^?3 (minimal value 1 pg m^?3 maximal value 79 pg m^?3). Obtained Pt concentrations are higher than those reported for other urban areas. Spatial variation shows that SW had Pt concentration significantly higher than NW and C only. Seasonal variation shows that Pt median was higher in rainy season than in both dry seasons. A comparison of these results with previously reported data of PM₁₀ from 1991 and 2003 in the same studied area shows a worrying increase in the concentration of Pt in the air environment of MAMC.     

Retention of particulate adenosine triphosphate from Mediterranean deep-sea water by glass-fibre and membrane filters

When deep-water samples from the Mediterranean Sea were passed through glass-fibre filters (Whatman GF/F), the adenosine nucleotide concentration of the particulate material was exceptionally low. The concentration was higher when the particulate material was concentrated on SM cellulose-membrane filters with porosities of less than 1 μm. There would seem to be two reasons for this: (1) inhibition of the bioluminescent reaction; (2) an apparently lower retention of ATP by the glass-fibre filters. In order to compare results obtained with the two different types of filters, a correction factor of two can be used if measurements are made with an internal standard. This constant factor can only be applied to samples from depths greater than 300 m.     

Distribution and behaviour of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in subtropical river estuary,Okinawa, Japan

Surface water samples were collected along the salinity gradient of Manko estuary in Okinawa, Japan, between January and November 2012, to examine spatial and temporal variability in the distribution, composition, behaviour, and sources of particulate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Concentrations of total particulate PAHs ranged from 169.7?ng?g^?1 at riverine station (N1) in November 2012 to 922?ng?g^?1 at another riverine station (K3) in May 2012. Based on observed environmental behaviour, particularly relationships to organic matter, the PAHs appear divisible into two groups: group I (low molecular weight) PAHs were characterised by low particles affinity and strong correlations with a pool of autochthonous organic matter (e.g. high concentrations of polyunsaturated fatty acids), reflecting processes controlling their delivery to the estuary; and, in contrast, group II (high molecular weight) PAHs were characterised by high particles affinity and exhibited estuarine distribution primarily controlled by suspended solid load and inputs from terrigenous sources through river inflows. This relationship, coupled with isomer ratios indicative of combined mixed sources from petroleum and petroleum combustions, indicates that terrestrial run-off is the dominant mode of delivery of particulate PAHs in the estuary. The relationships between distinct groups of PAHs and lipid biomarkers demonstrated in this study suggest that very specific pools of particulate organic matter, as opposed to concentrations of particulate organic carbon alone, can be important in the transport and fate of hydrophobic contaminants.     

ESEM–EDX characterisation of airborne particles from an industrialised area of northern Greece

The aim of this study was to characterise individual airborne particles collected from the Ptolemais-Kozani region (Western Macedonia), northern Greece. Throughout a 1-year period (March 2003 to February 2004), we collected several filters that captured airborne particles at seven sampling sites distributed throughout the area. The airborne particles captured on the filters were then characterised by environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX). The particles were categorised as geogenic, biogenic and anthropogenic. The main anthropogenic airborne particles were fly ash (released from lignite-fired power plants) and carbonaceous (soot and char) and metalliferous (mainly iron- and copper-enriched) particulates. We present here characteristic ESEM and EDX spectra for the airborne particles and underline the presence of characteristic primary and secondary sulphates.     

大气颗粒物中微生物分析方法及分布特征的研究进展

大气颗粒物(particulate matter, PM)可能携带病原微生物,会对人体健康产生影响,因此,对大气颗粒物中微生物的采集和分析已成为当今的研究热点。本文对大气颗粒物中微生物的采集方法和分析方法(培养法、菌群多样性组成谱测序和宏基因组学技术)的研究进展进行简要概括,着重介绍不同条件下(区域、时间、粒径、天气条件和气象因素)大气颗粒物中微生物的分布状况差异,并对引起相关差异的原因进行了探讨,旨在为深入认识大气颗粒物中微生物的分布特征提供参考。     

Particulate DNA in subtropical oceanic and estuarine planktonic environments

Particulate DNA was measured in estuarine, coastal, and oligotrophic oceanic environments near the southwest coast of Florida and in the Gulf of Mexico. Particulate organic carbon and nitrogen (POC and PON), chlorophyll a, bacterial direct counts, DNA, and bacterial activity as determined by thymidine incorporation all showed a high degree of intercorrelation. Normalization of the data for offshore/onshore similarities by dividing by POC yielded significant correlations only for DNA, direct counts, and bacterial activity. Most (70–99%) of the particulate DNA in offshore samples was in the 0.2- to 1-m fraction, while DNA in nearshore and estuarine samples was associated with larger particles. Cellular DNA contents obtained by dividing DNA by direct counts in the 0.2- to 1-m fraction were in the range of reported bacterial genome weights. However, DNA nitrogen comprised a greater proportion of the PON than reported for microorganisms in culture. Collectively, these results suggest that (1) most of the particulate DNA in oceanic environments is contained in bacterioplankton; (2) DNA is a significant proportion of the cell biomass, possibly due to growth under nutrientlimiting conditions.     

Determination of trace elements in total suspended particles at the Southwest of Mexico City from 2003 to 2004

The purpose of the present study is to describe the relationships of eight elements analysed in total suspended particles collected in Mexico City, during 2003 and 2004. Al, Cd, Cr, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and V were analysed in to the atmospheric samples and the results were treated by Principal Components Analysis and Cluster Analysis trying to identify the possible sources of aerosols in the sampling site. Factor analysis calculations allowed the elements classification, related to their source on oil combustion, crustal and urban dust, smelting industries and motor vehicle emissions. A further statistical analysis of chemical results from the atmospheric samples was also performed, in order to see what environmental concentrations of those elements have been affected by industrial and mining activities. The eight elements analysed were arranged into two groups that presents high and positive Pearson r values suggesting common emission sources.     

新型溴系阻燃剂环境污染现状研究进展

新型溴系阻燃剂(NBFRs,novel brominated flame retardants)作为传统溴系阻燃剂的替代品已广泛应用于电子产品、纺织品、家具等商品中,随着这些商品的生产、使用和处置,NBFRs不可避免地释放到环境中,给环境和人体带来潜在的危害.部分NBFRs可通过摄食和呼吸作用进入人体对人体产生一定危害...     

Restoration of the Marine Ecological Environment Along the Charting Coast: Primary Productivity and Biomass Study

Since 1986, when green oysters occurred due to the copper and organic pollution in the Charting coastal area, the government banned all maricultural activity. It has been claimed that growing algae in a polluted environment may clean the water of pollutants and restore the marine ecosystem. to test this hypothesis, in the Charting coastal area a three-year programme (from August 1992 to July 1995) was carried out. the survey programme included environmental components such as salinity, temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, biological oxygen demand (BOD), particulate organic carbon (POC), heavy metals and ecological indicators such as nutrients, chlorophyll-a, primary productivity. in the first year study, the environmental background data collected was used to select the suitable season and locations for growing large algae transferred from the laboratory to the field study area. Since September 1993, various species of large algae have been cultured. Although some of the growing algae were damaged by a typhoon in August 1994, the impact of the growing algae on the environmental conditions in the area has been monitored throughout. Elsewhere, we have reported that in the algae growing area higher dissolved oxygen with lower values of BOD and POC were found, and the concentrations of heavy metals in both water and sediments decreased. the purpose of this paper is to evaluate the possible impact of growing large algae on the ecological conditions in Charting coastal waters through the period from August 1983 to May 1995. As a result of the positive results obtained, large amounts of algae have again been cultured in the same area during the period from April 29 to May 25, 1995. We expect that inorganic and organic pollutants will be reduced by the algal growth, oyster mariculture will be restored and finally, the fishery resources potential will be increased.     

Architecture of,and water circulation and flow rate in,the house of the planktonic tunicateOikopleura labradoriensis

The gelatinous house ofOikopleura labradoriensis (Tunicata, Appendicularia), collected from the docks of Friday Harbor Laboratories, University of Washington, USA, in 1984, 1986 and 1990, was examined in vivo by stereomicroscopy and strobe-light macrophotography, and after fixation and processing for light and electron microscopy. In addition to confirming previous knowledge and adding new information on structural organization of the oikopleurid house, this study presents quantitative data on important aspects of its function. Particles small enough to pass through the inlet filters (pore width ~13 µm) were concentrated between differently constructed upper and lower food-concentrating filters (pore widths 0.18 and 0.24 µm, respectively). These filtes were held together by an intermediary screen of widely separated ribbon-like filaments. Water sieved through the filters left the house through a pressure-regulated exit valve. However, the intermittent activity of the tail pump and the elasticity of the house caused frequent refluxes of water that cleared both inlet filters and foodconcentrating filter screens of adhering particles. During these refluxes the food-concentrating filters usually collapsed and compacted the trapped particles into coarser aggregates. With each pumping cycle the particles and aggregates were brought closer to the midline. From here they were periodically drained into the mouth of the organism through a medial food-collecting tube, to be recaptured in a pharyngeal feeding filter secreted by the organism's endostyle. Based on the size and movements of the tail within the close-fitting tail chamber, a water flow rate of ~0.84 ml min^–1 was calculated for medium-sized houses (belonging to individuals with trunk length of ca. 1.2 mm). Taking the intermittent pumping activity of the tail into account, this equals ~35 ml h^–1. Flow through the food-collecting tube was ~1 µl min^–1, laminar and intermittent, and was probably comparable to a rate of ~0.04 ml h^–1. Accordingly, the house allowed the oikopleurid to feed on a ca. 1000 × concentrated suspension of particles. Water speed through the meshes of the food-concentrating filters was ca. 0.15 mm min^–1, or 2.5 µm s^–1.     

Restoration of the Marine Ecological Environment Along the Charting Coast: Primary Productivity and Biomass Study

Since 1986, when green oysters occurred due to the copper and organic pollution in the Charting coastal area, the government banned all maricultural activity. It has been claimed that growing algae in a polluted environment may clean the water of pollutants and restore the marine ecosystem. to test this hypothesis, in the Charting coastal area a three-year programme (from August 1992 to July 1995) was carried out. the survey programme included environmental components such as salinity, temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, biological oxygen demand (BOD), particulate organic carbon (POC), heavy metals and ecological indicators such as nutrients, chlorophyll-a, primary productivity. in the first year study, the environmental background data collected was used to select the suitable season and locations for growing large algae transferred from the laboratory to the field study area. Since September 1993, various species of large algae have been cultured. Although some of the growing algae were damaged by a typhoon in August 1994, the impact of the growing algae on the environmental conditions in the area has been monitored throughout. Elsewhere, we have reported that in the algae growing area higher dissolved oxygen with lower values of BOD and POC were found, and the concentrations of heavy metals in both water and sediments decreased. the purpose of this paper is to evaluate the possible impact of growing large algae on the ecological conditions in Charting coastal waters through the period from August 1983 to May 1995. As a result of the positive results obtained, large amounts of algae have again been cultured in the same area during the period from April 29 to May 25, 1995. We expect that inorganic and organic pollutants will be reduced by the algal growth, oyster mariculture will be restored and finally, the fishery resources potential will be increased.     

Gas-phase and aerosol chemistry interactions in South Europe and the Mediterranean region

The atmospheric chemical composition is affected by the interaction mechanisms among gases and particulate matter through a wide range of chemical reactions that can occur with the aid of particulate matter (e.g. particles act as reacting or absorbing surfaces) or be influenced by the presence of particulate matter in the atmosphere (photochemical reactions). Physical and chemical processes are also bonded in an interactive way that often leads to the influence of the radiation budget, cloud physics and the warming or cooling of the lower atmospheric levels. The Euro-Mediterranean region is a key-sensitive area due to the unique climatic and air quality characteristics associated with the regional climatic patterns, geomorphology (land and water contrast) and coexistence of pollutants from different origin. Focusing on this region, the gas-aerosol interactions are studied using state-of-the-art atmospheric and chemical transport modeling tools following the necessary development in the chemical transport model CAMx. Sensitivity and large-scale simulations have shown significant responses of the modeling system to the inclusion of natural species emissions, the direct shading effect of dust particles on photochemical processes and the formation of new types of aerosols through heterogeneous uptake of gases on dust particles. Including such interactions in the chemical transport model often led to the improvement of the model performance compared with available measurements in the region.     

Relationship between the zooplankton,phytoplankton, particulate matter and dissolved free amino acids in the Celtic Sea

Estimates of the biomass of zooplankton, phytoplankton and particulate matter collected in the Celtic Sea during mixed-water conditions (on 8 and 9 April 1983) were compared to the concentration and diversity of sixteen dissolved free amino acids (DFAA) measured in seawater and in particles. During a day profile, variations of dissolved amino acids with depth reflected the feeding activity of copepods. The relationship was not apparent in a night profile and other processes, such as heterotrophic utilization of dissolved nitrogen by microorganisms, were thought to be involved. The ratios of total DFAA concentration (nM litre^-1) in the particulate phase over the concentration in seawater ranged from 1 to 200 within the water column. Of the sixteen amino acids measured, ornithine, a decomposition product of arginine, was responsible for more than 70% of the total concentration of DFAA in seawater. In the particles, phenylalanine ranged from 30 to 88% of total DFAA. In seawater this amino acid occurred in the 20 to 40 m depths (1.3 to 9.9% of total DFAA) in the day profile and at 5 m (12.4%) and 80 m (6.4%) in the night profile. Previously it has only been found in very low concentrations (<5%) in seawater, and its presence is considered to be the result of zooplankton feeding.     

Horizontal movements of Atlantic blue marlin (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Makaira nigricans</Emphasis>) in the Gulf of Mexico

We examined movements of Atlantic blue marlin (Makaira nigricans) from the Gulf of Mexico based upon 42 pop-up archival transmitting (PAT) tags. Long deployments (including one 334-day track) revealed diverse movement patterns within the Gulf of Mexico. North–south seasonal changes in blue marlin distribution showed strong correspondence with established seasonal patterns of sea surface temperature and primary production. During the summer spawning season, blue marlin utilized outer shelf and shelf edge waters in the northern Gulf of Mexico, and longer duration tracks indicated overwintering habitats in the Bay of Campeche. Egress occurred throughout the year and was difficult to determine because some tracks ended in the Straits of Florida (n = 3) while other tracks recorded movement through it or the Yucatan Channel (n = 4). Our results indicate that Atlantic blue marlin have a more restricted geographic range of habitats than previously recognized and that the Gulf of Mexico provides spatially dynamic suitable habitat that is utilized year-round through seasonal movements.     

沣河水系脱氮微生物群落结构研究

河流水体氮素的超负荷不仅破坏了水体生态环境,也严重威胁着人类的生存和发展.水体中有机氮、无机氮（氨氮、亚硝氮、硝氮）和分子氮之间的转化（氮循环）有赖于水体中大量的氮循环微生物（固氮细菌、硝化细菌和反硝化细菌）,然而这些氮循环微生物的生长繁殖也受到包括氮素的形态和浓度在内的多种环境因子的影响,这些因素也通过影响氮循环微生物的生长繁殖进而使得水体中氮素的转化速率发生变化,对水体氮污染的防治有不可忽视的作用.本研究通过在沣河设置不同的研究断面,采集水体样品,进行水质分析,并通过现代分子生物学技术（PCR-DGGE）方法对研究断面水体中氮循环微生物（固氮细菌、硝化细菌和反硝化细菌）的群落结构进行分析.再通过统计学软件对所得分子生物学信息与水质环境因子的相关性进行统计学分析,发现沣河水体中氮循环微生物群落结构受到多种环境因子共同影响,且在枯水期和丰水期表现出不同的特征.在丰水期沣河水体中,硝化细菌群落在中游表现出较高的多样性和丰富性,这与沣河中上游农业COD（化学需氧量）、BOD（生化需氧量）氨氮及有机氮污染物排放量较大,沣河水体DO（溶解氧）高有关.水体中的氨氮、亚硝氮、温度的增加是促进水体中硝化细菌的均匀性和丰富度的增高的主要因子,而pH 值的升高,使得水体中硝化细菌的均匀性和丰富度降低.反硝化微生物在中游和下游的多样性和丰富度较高,与有机物及硝酸盐含量相关.水体中的BOD、COD、TP（总磷）、硝氮的增加是促进水体中反硝化细菌的均匀性和丰富度的增高主要相关因子,而DO 的增多则会对部分反硝化细菌产生不利影响,使得水体中反硝化细菌的均匀性和丰富度降低.本研究结果为沣河以及其他河流的污染控制以及基于微生物的生态修复提供了科?     

Partikelentfernung in der Trinkwasseraufbereitung: Problematiken und Lösungsansätze

The drinking water treatment plant (WTP) in Irsch-Treves is one of the WTPs operated by the Public Utility Company of Treves (SWT) responsible for supplying the city of Treves with drinking water. This treatment plant has been responsible for the treatment of raw, soft water from the oligotrophic reservoir Riveris since 1958. The main functions of the WTP are the removal of particulate matter, manganese, iron, aluminium and organic material, especially humic substances. The removal of particulate matter such as bacteria, other microorganisms and plankton is very important to ensure a microbiologically and hygienically stable drinking water. Insufficient removal of particulate manganese may lead to manganese scaling in the supply system and, in extreme conditions, may lead to a brown-coloured drinking water. The so called Multi-Barrier-System is being used in the entire water treatment process. Under this system, great importance is given to the monitoring of the catchment area, the inflows, and the reservoirs. After a preliminary and subsequent sedimentation and biological treatment in the preliminary and in the main reservoirs respectively, the raw water is finally treated through flocculation filtration over the rapid multi-layer sand filters in the WTP Irsch. With this approach, only a rigid application of the above mentioned steps and the application of the latest recognized technology to maintain the supply system can best guarantee a constant supply of clean drinking water. Online particle count in raw water and in drinking water is one of the main quality control measures applied in the WTP Irsch. The conventional flocculation filtration is not always able to fulfil the increasing quality demands for drinking water, especially during adverse raw water quality conditions. This is the reason why more and more membrane filtration units are currently being installed in completely new plants, as substitutes in conventional plants, or for upgrade purposes. The SWT is currently planning an enlargement and upgrade of the WTP Irsch, integrating ultrafiltration, which was successfully tested in a pilot study. The upgrade of the elimination of particulate matter is one of the most important targets, after the enlargement and upgrade of the plant.     

Indoor particle dynamics in a school office: determination of particle concentrations,deposition rates and penetration factors under naturally ventilated conditions

Recently, the problem of indoor particulate matter pollution has received much attention. An increasing number of epidemiological studies show that the concentration of atmospheric particulate matter has a significant effect on human health, even at very low concentrations. Most of these investigations have relied upon outdoor particle concentrations as surrogates of human exposures. However, considering that the concentration distribution of the indoor particulate matter is largely dependent on the extent to which these particles penetrate the building and on the degree of suspension in the indoor air, human exposures to particles of outdoor origin may not be equal to outdoor particle concentration levels. Therefore, it is critical to understand the relationship between the particle concentrations found outdoors and those found in indoor micro-environments. In this study, experiments were conducted using a naturally ventilated office located in Qingdao, China. The indoor and outdoor particle concentrations were measured at the same time using an optical counter with four size ranges. The particle size distribution ranged from 0.3 to 2.5 μm, and the experimental period was from April to September, 2016. Based on the experimental data, the dynamic and mass balance model based on time was used to estimate the penetration rate and deposition rate at air exchange rates of 0.03–0.25 h^?1. The values of the penetration rate and deposition velocity of indoor particles were determined to range from 0.45 to 0.82 h^?1 and 1.71 to 2.82 m/h, respectively. In addition, the particulate pollution exposure in the indoor environment was analyzed to estimate the exposure hazard from indoor particulate matter pollution, which is important for human exposure to particles and associated health effects. The conclusions from this study can serve to provide a better understanding the dynamics and behaviors of airborne particle entering into buildings. And they will also highlight effective methods to reduce exposure to particles in office buildings.     

大气中硝酸和颗粒物硝酸盐的测定

研究了用扩散管差分法和多种叠滤膜法测量大气中粒物硝酸盐和气体硝酸，扩散管差分法可以测量颗粒物硝酸盐和气体硝酸，避免了采样时颗粒物硝酸盐的人为损失。Ｆｌｏｕｒｏｐｏｒｅ聚四氟乙烯膜等惰性膜也可以采集颗粒物硝酸盐，其后的ＮａＣｌ浸渍膜采集硝酸，而玻璃纤维膜几乎同时采集了颗粒物硝酸盐和硝酸。