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Combining culturing and 16S rDNA sequencing to reveal seasonal and room variations of household airborne bacteria and correlative environmental factors in nanjing, southeast china
Author(s) -
Ye Jin,
Qian Hua,
Zhang Jianshun,
Sun Fan,
Zhuge Yang,
Zheng Xiaohong
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
indoor air
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.387
H-Index - 99
eISSN - 1600-0668
pISSN - 0905-6947
DOI - 10.1111/ina.12807
Subject(s) - indoor bioaerosol , bacteria , biology , seasonality , pseudomonas , subtropics , bioaerosol , 16s ribosomal rna , veterinary medicine , environmental science , ecology , geography , meteorology , aerosol , medicine , genetics
Exposure to bioaerosols poses important health effects on occupants. To elucidate seasonal and room variations of household airborne bacteria, this study investigated 30 residential homes during summer and winter throughout Nanjing, Southeast China, with a humid subtropical climate. Culturing and 16S rDNA sequencing methods were combined in this study. Results showed that the community structure and composition in the same season but different homes show similarity, however, they in the same home but in different seasons show a huge difference, with Sphingomonas (25.3%), Clostridium (14.8%), and Pseudomonas (7.6%) being the dominant bacteria in summer, and Pseudomonas (57.1%) was dominant bacteria in winter. Culturable concentrations of bacteria were also significantly higher in summer (854 ± 425 CFU/m 3 ) than in winter (231 ± 175 CFU/m 3 ), but difference by home or room was relatively minor. More than 80% of culturable bacteria (<4.7 μm) could penetrate into lower respiratory tract. The seasonal variations of bacterial community and concentrations were closely associated with seasonal variations of temperature, humidity, and PM 2.5 . Higher concentrations and larger sizes were observed in the bathroom and kitchen, typically with higher humidity than other rooms.