Open AccessInfluence of Air Quality on the Composition of Microbial Pathogens in Fresh Rainwater
Author(s) -
Rajni Kaushik,
Rajasekhar Balasubramanian,
Armah A. de la Cruz
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
applied and environmental microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.552
H-Index - 324
eISSN - 1070-6291
pISSN - 0099-2240
DOI - 10.1128/aem.07695-11
Subject(s) - rainwater harvesting , biology , klebsiella pneumoniae , water quality , environmental science , pseudomonas , pseudomonas aeruginosa , veterinary medicine , microbiology and biotechnology , bacteria , ecology , escherichia coli , medicine , biochemistry , genetics , gene
In this study, the microbiological quality of fresh rainwater was assessed from 50 rain events under tropical weather conditions for a year. The levels of four major opportunistic waterborne pathogens, namely,Escherichia coli ,Klebsiella pneumoniae ,Pseudomonas aeruginosa , andAeromonas hydrophila , in rainwater samples were quantified by using a robust and sensitive quantitative PCR (qPCR) method. Of the 50 rainwater samples, 25 were found to be positive for at least one pathogen: 21 forE. coli , 16 forP. aeruginosa , 6 forK. pneumoniae , and 1 forA. hydrophila . In addition to the microbiological assessment of rainwater samples, we also studied the influence of prevailing air quality on the microbial quality of rainwater over the sampling period. A significant change in the diversity and relative abundance of the basic microbial indicator organisms in rainwater was observed during a major regional air pollution episode in Southeast Asia due to biomass-burning emissions.