Ambient Bioaerosol Distribution and Associated Health Risks at a High Traffic Density Junction at Dehradun City, India

Overview

Journal Environ Monit Assess

Publisher Springer

Specialty Environmental Health

Date 2020 Feb 23

PMID 32086610

Citations 8

Authors

Sandeep Madhwal

Vignesh Prabhu

Sangeeta Sundriyal

Vijay Shridhar

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Traffic junctions are one of the crowded places where commuters are at high risk of developing respiratory infections, due to their greater exposure to airborne and human transmitted microbial pathogens. An airborne bioaerosol assessment study was carried out at a high traffic density junction focusing on their concentration, contribution in respirable particulate matter (PM), and factors influencing the distribution and microbial diversity. Andersen six-stage viable cascade impactor and a wide-range aerosol spectrometer were used for microbial and particulate matter measurements, respectively. Statistical analysis was conducted to evaluate the relationship between bioaerosol concentration, vehicular count, PM concentration, and meteorological parameters. The mean bacteria concentration (1962.95 ± 651.85 CFU/m) was significantly different than fungi (1118.95 ± 428.34 CFU/m) (p < 0.05). The temporal distribution showed maximum concentration for bacteria and fungi during monsoon and postmonsoon seasons, respectively. In terms of bioaerosol loading, a considerable fraction of fungi (3.25%) and bacteria (5.65%) contributed to the total airborne PM. Most abundant bioaerosols were Aspergillus (27.58%), Penicillium (23%), and Cladosporium (14.05%) (fungi), and Micrococcus (25.73%), Staphylococcus (17.98%), and Bacillus (13.8%) (bacteria). Traffic-induced roadside soil resuspension and microbial aerosolizations from the human body were identified as the chief sources of bioaerosol emissions. The risk of lower respiratory tract infections caused by anthroponotic (human transmitted) transfer of bacterial pathogens is very high. The results of the study can be used to trace sources of microbial mediated communicable diseases, and to recommend appropriate safety measures to avoid pathogenic bioaerosol exposure.

Citing Articles

Non-carcinogenic health risks assessment of bioaerosols.

Siddique A, Rasool K MethodsX. 2025; 14:103088.

PMID: 39741892 PMC: 11683212. DOI: 10.1016/j.mex.2024.103088.

A review of pathogenic airborne fungi and bacteria: unveiling occurrence, sources, and profound human health implication.

Al-Shaarani A, Pecoraro L Front Microbiol. 2024; 15:1428415.

PMID: 39364169 PMC: 11446796. DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1428415.

On-site bioaerosol sampling and detection in microfluidic platforms.

Lee I, Jeon E, Lee J Trends Analyt Chem. 2022; 158:116880.

PMID: 36514783 PMC: 9731818. DOI: 10.1016/j.trac.2022.116880.

Chemical, Biological and Morphological Properties of Fine Particles during Local Rice Straw Burning Activities.

Ramli N, Md Yusof N, Zarkasi K, Suroto A Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021; 18(15).

PMID: 34360485 PMC: 8346042. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18158192.

Seasonal variation and size distribution in the airborne indoor microbial concentration of residential houses in Delhi and its impact on health.

Kumar P, Singh A, Singh R Aerobiologia (Bologna). 2021; 37(4):719-732.

PMID: 34248257 PMC: 8254435. DOI: 10.1007/s10453-021-09718-3.

References

Nasir Z, Colbeck I, Sultan S, Ahmed S . Bioaerosols in residential micro-environments in low income countries: a case study from Pakistan. Environ Pollut. 2012; 168:15-22. DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2012.03.047. View

Clements A, Fraser M, Upadhyay N, Herckes P, Sundblom M, Lantz J . Source Identification of Coarse Particles in the Desert Southwest, USA using Positive Matrix Factorization. Atmos Pollut Res. 2018; 8(5):873-884. PMC: 6261329. DOI: 10.1016/j.apr.2017.02.003. View

Matheson M, Benke G, Raven J, Sim M, Kromhout H, Vermeulen R . Biological dust exposure in the workplace is a risk factor for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Thorax. 2005; 60(8):645-51. PMC: 1747486. DOI: 10.1136/thx.2004.035170. View

Prussin 2nd A, Marr L . Sources of airborne microorganisms in the built environment. Microbiome. 2015; 3:78. PMC: 4688924. DOI: 10.1186/s40168-015-0144-z. View

Jones A, Harrison R . The effects of meteorological factors on atmospheric bioaerosol concentrations--a review. Sci Total Environ. 2004; 326(1-3):151-80. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2003.11.021. View

Dong S, Yao M . Exposure assessment in Beijing, China: biological agents, ultrafine particles, and lead. Environ Monit Assess. 2009; 170(1-4):331-43. DOI: 10.1007/s10661-009-1236-7. View

Xie Z, Fan C, Lu R, Liu P, Wang B, Du S . Characteristics of ambient bioaerosols during haze episodes in China: A review. Environ Pollut. 2018; 243(Pt B):1930-1942. DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2018.09.051. View

Abdel Hameed A, Khoder M, Yuosra S, Osman A, Ghanem S . Diurnal distribution of airborne bacteria and fungi in the atmosphere of Helwan area, Egypt. Sci Total Environ. 2009; 407(24):6217-22. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2009.08.028. View

Akpeimeh G, Fletcher L, Evans B . Exposure to bioaerosols at open dumpsites: A case study of bioaerosols exposure from activities at Olusosun open dumpsite, Lagos Nigeria. Waste Manag. 2019; 89:37-47. DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman.2019.03.058. View

10.

Rashidi S, Shahmoradi B, Maleki A, Sharafi K, Darvishi E . Density assessment and mapping of microorganisms around a biocomposting plant in Sanandaj, Iran. Environ Monit Assess. 2017; 189(5):233. DOI: 10.1007/s10661-017-5914-6. View

11.

Chao C, Wan M, Morawska L, Johnson G, Ristovski Z, Hargreaves M . Characterization of expiration air jets and droplet size distributions immediately at the mouth opening. J Aerosol Sci. 2020; 40(2):122-133. PMC: 7126899. DOI: 10.1016/j.jaerosci.2008.10.003. View

12.

Rahman S, Siddique R, Tabassum N . Isolation and identification of halotolerant soil bacteria from coastal Patenga area. BMC Res Notes. 2017; 10(1):531. PMC: 5663095. DOI: 10.1186/s13104-017-2855-7. View

13.

Santos P, Piontelli E, Shea Y, Galluzzo M, Holland S, Zelazko M . Penicillium piceum infection: diagnosis and successful treatment in chronic granulomatous disease. Med Mycol. 2006; 44(8):749-53. DOI: 10.1080/13693780600967089. View

14.

Fung F, Hughson W . Health effects of indoor fungal bioaerosol exposure. Appl Occup Environ Hyg. 2003; 18(7):535-44. DOI: 10.1080/10473220301451. View

15.

Millner P . Bioaerosols associated with animal production operations. Bioresour Technol. 2009; 100(22):5379-85. DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2009.03.026. View

16.

Xu Z, Yao M . Monitoring of bioaerosol inhalation risks in different environments using a six-stage Andersen sampler and the PCR-DGGE method. Environ Monit Assess. 2012; 185(5):3993-4003. DOI: 10.1007/s10661-012-2844-1. View

17.

OConnor D, Daly S, Sodeau J . On-line monitoring of airborne bioaerosols released from a composting/green waste site. Waste Manag. 2015; 42:23-30. DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman.2015.04.015. View

18.

Oliveira M, Ribeiro H, Delgado J, Abreu I . The effects of meteorological factors on airborne fungal spore concentration in two areas differing in urbanisation level. Int J Biometeorol. 2008; 53(1):61-73. DOI: 10.1007/s00484-008-0191-2. View

19.

Kowalski M, Pastuszka J . Effect of ambient air temperature and solar radiation on changes in bacterial and fungal aerosols concentration in the urban environment. Ann Agric Environ Med. 2018; 25(2):259-261. DOI: 10.26444/aaem/75877. View

20.

Prabhu V, Gupta S, Madhwal S, Shridhar V . Exposure to Atmospheric Particulates and Associated Respirable Deposition Dose to Street Vendors at the Residential and Commercial Sites in Dehradun City. Saf Health Work. 2019; 10(2):237-244. PMC: 6598844. DOI: 10.1016/j.shaw.2019.01.005. View