Effects of heavy rainfall on the composition of airborne bacterial communities

Wet deposition scavenges particles and particle-associated bacteria from the air column, but the impact of raindrops on various surfaces on Earth causes emission of surface-associated bacteria into the air column. Thus, after rainfall, these two mechanisms are expected to cause changes in airborne bacterial community composition (BCC). In this study, aerosol samples were collected at a suburban site in Seoul, Korea before and after three heavy rainfall events in April, May, and July 2011. BCC was investigated by pyrosequencing the 16S rRNA gene in aerosol samples. Interestingly, the relative abundance of non-spore forming Actinobacteria operational taxonomic units (OTUs) was always higher in post-rain aerosol samples. In particular, the absolute and relative abundances of airborne Propionibacteriaceae always increased after rainfall, whereas those of airborne Firmicutes, including Carnobacteriaceae and Clostridiales, consistently decreased. Marine bacterial sequences, which were temporally important in aerosol samples, also decreased after rainfall events. Further, increases in pathogen-like sequences were often observed in post-rain air samples. Rainfall events seemed to affect airborne BCCs by the combined action of the two mechanisms, with potentially adverse effects on human and plant health.

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Microbial Removal of Arsenic

Bangladesh is currently the subject of the world's largest mass arsenic poisoning in history. Groundwater throughout Bangladesh and West Bengal is contaminated with naturally occurring arsenic from the alluvial and deltaic sediments that form the region's aquifers. It has been estimated that 75 million people are at risk of developing health effects associated with the ingestion of arsenic. This project focuses on the use of microorganisms such as bacteria and algae to remove arsenic from water. Arsenic in the arsenite form was used in the studies. Experiments were conducted with a common alga and wastewater bacteria. A common green algae Scenedesmus abundans was used for determining arsenic uptake in batch experiments. Results of the experiments indicated that the algae biosorption could be modeled by the conventional Langmuir isotherm model. Algae morphology studies indicated that the algae cells were impacted due to the presence of arsenic as evidenced by clumping or loss of cell clusters. The wastewater bacteria also were capable of high percent of arsenic removal. Results indicate that microbial uptake of arsenic may be a viable method of pretreatment of arsenic contaminated water. However algae and sludge disposal would pose a problem and will have to be dealt with accordingly.     

Effects of Cd（Ⅱ） and Cu（Ⅱ） on microbial characteristics in 2-chlorophenol-degradation anaerobic bioreactors

The effects of Cd^2＋ and Cu^2＋ at 300 mg/L on anaerobic microbial communities that degrade 2-cholorophenol （2-CP） were examined. Based on the polymerase chain reaction （PCR） of 16S rDNA, bacterial community diversity and archaeal community structure were analyzed with denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis （DGGE） and cloning, respectively. Degradation capabilities of the anaerobic microbial community were drastically abated and the degradation efficiency of 2-CP was reduced to 60% after shock by Cu^2＋ and Cd^2＋, respectively. The bacterial community structure was disturbed and the biodiversity was reduced after shock by Cu^2＋ and Cd^2＋ for 3 d. Some new metal-resistant microbes which could cope with the new condition appeared. The sequence analysis showed that there existed common Archaea species in control sludge and systems when treated with Cu^2＋ and Cd^2＋, such as Methanothrix soehngenii, Methanosaeta concilii, uncultured euryarchaeote, and so on. Both the abundance and diversity of archaeal species were altered with addition of Cd^2＋ and Cu^2＋ at high concentration. Although the abundance of the predominant archaeal species decreased with Cd^2＋ and Cu^2＋ addition for 3 d, they recovered to some extent after 10 d. The diversity of archaeal species was remarkably reduced after recovery for 10 d and the shift in archaeal composition seemed to be irreversible. The 2-CP-degradation anaerobic system was more sensitive to Cu^2＋ than Cd^2＋.     

焦化废水生物脱氮工艺反硝化段菌相分析

对焦化废水反硝化段的试样进行了细菌数量及菌相分析研究，对反硝化细菌在反硝化段生态环境中的分布进行了探讨。试验共分离出２３株菌株，分别属于７个属，其中假单胞菌和芽孢杆菌为主要优势菌，分别占总鉴定菌数的３９．１％和２１．７％，反硝化细菌共有１１株，占总鉴定菌数４７．８％。     

含氟有机化合物优势降解菌的筛选

从受含氟有机物长期污染的污泥中驯化筛选得到7株优势降解菌，可利用氟代有机化合物为唯一大风大浪原生长。取其中2株菌进行生物忍耐力及生物降解实验，结果表明：菌株对经过台化的有机物有较强的忍受能力，在浓度高达1000mg/L的条件下仍能生长，全氟辛酸可被筛选菌脱氟降解。     

沈阳市大气细菌与真菌粒子的关系

用ＡＮＤＥＲＳＥＮ生物粒子采样器对沈阳市大气细菌和真菌粒子的密度、密度分布、粒度分布及两者关系进行了观察和。结果表明，沈阳市大气年平均密度细菌粒子为７２２８个／ｍ＾３，真菌粒子为１７９７个／ｍ＾３，细菌为真菌的４．１倍。细菌粒子密度和粒度均呈正偏态分布，真菌粒子密度和粒度均呈对数正态分布。〈８．２μｍ的可吸入粒子，细菌为４３２６个／ｍ＾３，占其总数的６１．４％；真菌为１５８３个／ｍ＾３，占其总数的     

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.     

Microbial Cretaceous park: biodiversity of microbial fossils entrapped in amber

Microorganisms are the most ancient cells on this planet and they include key phyla for understanding cell evolution and Earth history, but, unfortunately, their microbial records are scarce. Here, we present a critical review of fossilized prokaryotic and eukaryotic microorganisms entrapped in Cretaceous ambers (but not exclusively from this geological period) obtained from deposits worldwide. Microbiota in ambers are rather diverse and include bacteria, fungi, and protists. We comment on the most important microbial records from the last 25 years, although it is not an exhaustive bibliographic compilation. The most frequently reported eukaryotic microfossils are shells of amoebae and protists with a cell wall or a complex cortex. Likewise, diverse dormant stages (palmeloid forms, resting cysts, spores, etc.) are abundant in ambers. Besides, viral and protist pathogens have been identified inside insects entrapped in amber. The situation regarding filamentous bacteria and fungi is quite confusing because in some cases, the same record was identified consecutively as a member of these phylogenetically distant groups. To avoid these identification errors in the future, we propose to apply a more resolute microscopic and analytical method in amber studies. Also, we discuss the most recent findings about ancient DNA repair and bacterial survival in remote substrates, which support the real possibility of ancient DNA amplification and bacterial resuscitation from Cretaceous resins.     

混合菌对表层沉积物中重金属形态及生物有效性的影响

采用改进的Tessier连续萃取法对表层沉积物中重金属(内源体系:Fe、Mn、Cu、Zn和Pb;外源体系:掺杂Cu、Zn和Pb后的Fe、Mn、Cu、Zn和Pb)一定时间(45d)内的形态分布进行分析,探讨了混合菌对体系中重金属形态及生物有效性的影响。混合菌的加入促进了沉积物中Fe向可交换态、碳酸盐结合态的转变,Fe的生物有效性显著提高;混合菌的掺杂导致了Mn向稳定态的移动,体系中Mn的各形态除可交换态含量均有所提高,且混合菌可以提高Mn的生物有效性;混合菌的存在增加了内源体系中Zn的铁锰氧化态稳定性,外源体系中混合菌的添加促进了其活化作用,与混合菌前33d降低金属有效性相矛盾;混合菌加入使内源体系中Pb残渣态和外源体系中有机质结合态升高,与混合菌加大Pb的有效性不吻合;混合菌可导致内源体系Cu的铁锰氧化物含量增加和铁锰氧化物态下降、Cu的生物有效性提高,而外源体系中前Cu的碳酸盐结合态上升,混合菌降低了Cu生物有效性。     

Applicability of the Arrhenius model for ammonia oxidizing bacteria subjected to temperature time gradients

The aim of this work is to identify the range of applicability of Arrhenius type temperature dependence for Ammonia Oxidizing Bacteria (AOB) subjected to temperature time gradients through continuous titrimetric tests. An innovative online differential titrimetric technique was used to continuously monitor the maximum biologic ammonia oxidation rate of the biomass selected in a pilot scale membrane bioreactor, as a function of temperature time gradients. The monitoring technique is based on the measurement of alkalinity and hydrogen peroxide consumption rates in two parallel reactors operated in non-limiting substrate conditions for AOB; both reactors were continuously fed with mixed liquor and in one of them AOB were inhibited with allylthiourea. The effects of temperature decrease rates in the range 1 to 4°C·h⁻¹ were evaluated by controlling the titrimetric reactor in the temperature range 10°C–20°C. The dependence of growth kinetics on temperature time gradients and the range of applicability of Arrhenius model for temperature dependency of AOB growth kinetics were assessed. The Arrhenius model was found to be accurate only with temperature gradients lower than 2°C·h⁻¹. The estimated Arrhenius coefficients (θ) were shown to increase from 1.07 to 1.6 when the temperature decrease rate reached 4°C·h⁻¹.