Combining culturing and 16S rDNA sequencing to reveal seasonal and room variations of household airborne bacteria and correlative environmental factors in nanjing, southeast china

Jin Ye, Hua Qian, Jianshun Zhang, Fan Sun, Yang Zhuge, Xiaohong Zheng

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

16 Scopus citations

Abstract

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/m3) than in winter (231 ± 175 CFU/m3), 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 PM2.5. Higher concentrations and larger sizes were observed in the bathroom and kitchen, typically with higher humidity than other rooms.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1095-1108
Number of pages14
JournalIndoor Air
Volume31
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 2021

Keywords

  • airborne bacteria
  • community composition
  • culturable concentration
  • diversity
  • seasonal variation
  • size distribution

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Environmental Engineering
  • Building and Construction
  • Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

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