Lizeth Russy-Velandia , Omar Ramírez , Jaime Barrera , Sebastián Mendoza-Téllez , Harry Álvarez , María Camila Patiño , Luis A. Ladino
{"title":"Approach to culturable bioaerosols and their environmental drivers at a border site in the northwestern Amazon","authors":"Lizeth Russy-Velandia , Omar Ramírez , Jaime Barrera , Sebastián Mendoza-Téllez , Harry Álvarez , María Camila Patiño , Luis A. Ladino","doi":"10.1016/j.aeaoa.2025.100362","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study represents the first characterization of culturable bioaerosols, including fungi and bacteria, in the northwestern Amazon region. Sampling was conducted in Guaviare, Colombia, during the seasonal transition from the dry to the wet period in March 2024. The bioaerosol collection device (MAS-100 Eco impactor) was positioned 7 m above ground level to minimize the influence of soil particle resuspension and ensure a reliable assessment of bioaerosols. Results showed that fungal concentrations (642 CFU/m<sup>3</sup>) were significantly higher than bacterial concentrations (228 CFU/m<sup>3</sup>). Humidity significantly influenced the morning peak levels of these microbes (p < 0.05). Fungal communities were predominantly composed of <em>Schizophyllum commune</em> and <em>Penicillium herquei</em>, while bacterial communities were predominantly composed of <em>Arthrobacter</em> sp., <em>Exiguobacterium</em> sp., and <em>Stenotrophomonas pavani</em>. The microbial community composition varied temporally throughout the day, with Firmicutes (56.4 %) and Ascomycota (53.7 %) predominating. Notably, human-associated species such as <em>Staphylococcus saprophyticus</em> were present. Air mass trajectory analysis using the HYSPLIT model indicated that 49.5 % of sampled air originated from the northeastern plains of Colombia and Venezuela, while 36.2 % came from the southeastern Brazilian Amazon. These findings suggest that airborne microbial communities in the northwestern Amazon are shaped by regional air masses and local environmental conditions, reflecting both natural and anthropogenic influences. This study establishes a baseline for employing bioaerosols as bioindicators of ecological fragmentation and highlights the need to expand biomonitoring networks to track microbial diversity spatially and temporally in this vital biome.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37150,"journal":{"name":"Atmospheric Environment: X","volume":"27 ","pages":"Article 100362"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4000,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Atmospheric Environment: X","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590162125000528","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
This study represents the first characterization of culturable bioaerosols, including fungi and bacteria, in the northwestern Amazon region. Sampling was conducted in Guaviare, Colombia, during the seasonal transition from the dry to the wet period in March 2024. The bioaerosol collection device (MAS-100 Eco impactor) was positioned 7 m above ground level to minimize the influence of soil particle resuspension and ensure a reliable assessment of bioaerosols. Results showed that fungal concentrations (642 CFU/m3) were significantly higher than bacterial concentrations (228 CFU/m3). Humidity significantly influenced the morning peak levels of these microbes (p < 0.05). Fungal communities were predominantly composed of Schizophyllum commune and Penicillium herquei, while bacterial communities were predominantly composed of Arthrobacter sp., Exiguobacterium sp., and Stenotrophomonas pavani. The microbial community composition varied temporally throughout the day, with Firmicutes (56.4 %) and Ascomycota (53.7 %) predominating. Notably, human-associated species such as Staphylococcus saprophyticus were present. Air mass trajectory analysis using the HYSPLIT model indicated that 49.5 % of sampled air originated from the northeastern plains of Colombia and Venezuela, while 36.2 % came from the southeastern Brazilian Amazon. These findings suggest that airborne microbial communities in the northwestern Amazon are shaped by regional air masses and local environmental conditions, reflecting both natural and anthropogenic influences. This study establishes a baseline for employing bioaerosols as bioindicators of ecological fragmentation and highlights the need to expand biomonitoring networks to track microbial diversity spatially and temporally in this vital biome.