Contribution of fungal spores to particulate matter in a tropical rainforest

Zhang, Ting; Engling, Guenter; Chan, Chia-Tai; Zhang, Yinan; Zhang, Zhisheng; Lin, Mang; Sang, Xue-Fang; Li, Yd D.; Li, Yok-Sheung

doi:10.1088/1748-9326/5/2/024010

Cited by 105 publications

(111 citation statements)

References 63 publications

(86 reference statements)

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“…The highest correlation (r = 0.86) is between arabitol and mannitol. Similarly high arabitol/mannitol correlations are reported in other studies (Bauer et al, 2008a;Zhang et al, 2010;Burshtein et al, 2011;Liang et al, 2013). Arabitol and mannitol are only moderately correlated with fungal spores (r = 0.51 and 0.49, respectively).…”

Section: Predictability Of Bioaerosol Indicators From Each Other and supporting

confidence: 84%

Characterization of Ambient PM10 Bioaerosols in a California Agricultural Town

Chow

Yang

Wang

et al. 2015

Aerosol Air Qual. Res.

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Ambient bioaerosols in PM 10 samples were measured at three sites in Corcoran, an agricultural town in the southern San Joaquin Valley (SJV) of California, during fall of 2000 corresponding to the cotton harvest season. Elevated bioaerosol concentrations were measured near grain elevators (GRA site) and a cotton handling facility (BAI site) as compared to levels in a residential community (COP site), ~2 km northeast of these sources. Average endotoxin levels (13 ± 17 EU/m 3 ) at the grain elevator site were three to eight times higher than averages at the nearby cotton-handling and residential sites. The highest level (47.6 EU/m 3 ) at the grain elevator site was about half of the exposure limit of 90 EU/m 3 set by the Dutch Expert Committee on Occupational Safety. Particle counts of fungal spore (66,333 particles/m 3 ) and pollen grain (2,600 particles/m 3 ) concentrations were more than double those reported in the literature. Average fungal biomarker concentrations of 170 and 131 ng/m 3 for arabitol and mannitol, respectively, were 1-2 orders of magnitude higher than those from nonagricultural areas. The low correlation (r < 0.11) of three fungal markers (i.e., (1→3)-β-D-glucan, arabitol, and mannitol) with fungi counts is consistent with findings by others and indicates that these are insufficient as surrogates to represent fungal exposure. Agricultural activities contributed measureable amounts to PM 10 mass and organic carbon (OC), dominated by fungal spores (i.e., 5.4-5.8% PM 10 mass and 11.5-14.7% OC). The sum of fungal spores, pollen grains, and plant detritus accounted for an average of 11-15% PM 10 and 24-33% OC mass. Bioaerosols can be important contributors to PM 10 mass in farming communities similar to Corcoran, especially during intense agricultural activities.

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Section: Predictability Of Bioaerosol Indicators From Each Other and supporting

confidence: 84%

Characterization of Ambient PM10 Bioaerosols in a California Agricultural Town

Chow

Yang

Wang

et al. 2015

Aerosol Air Qual. Res.

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“…The spores contain ARL and MAL as storage substances. Correlation between the fungal spore count and their concentration was verified in the PM 10 size fraction Zhang et al, 2010). Mannitol is one of the common energy and carbon storage molecules produced by various organisms, including bacteria, yeasts, fungi, algae, lichens and many plants, but its major suspension into the air is often expected to be linked primarily to fungal spores under ordinary atmospheric conditions.…”

Section: Introduction and Objectivesmentioning

confidence: 89%

Source apportionment of carbonaceous chemical species to fossil fuel combustion, biomass burning and biogenic emissions by a coupled radiocarbon–levoglucosan marker method

Salma¹,

Németh²,

Weidinger³

et al. 2017

Atmos. Chem. Phys.

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Abstract. An intensive aerosol measurement and sample collection campaign was conducted in central Budapest in a mild winter for 2 weeks. The online instruments included an FDMS-TEOM, RT-OC/EC analyser, DMPS, gas pollutant analysers and meteorological sensors. The aerosol samples were collected on quartz fibre filters by a low-volume sampler using the tandem filter method. Elemental carbon (EC), organic carbon (OC), levoglucosan, mannosan, galactosan, arabitol and mannitol were determined, and radiocarbon analysis was performed on the aerosol samples. Median atmospheric concentrations of EC, OC and PM 2.5 mass were 0.97, 4.9 and 25 µg m −3 , respectively. The EC and organic matter (1.6 × OC) accounted for 4.8 and 37 %, respectively, of the PM 2.5 mass. Fossil fuel (FF) combustion represented 36 % of the total carbon (TC = EC + OC) in the PM 2.5 size fraction. Biomass burning (BB) was a major source (40 %) for the OC in the PM 2.5 size fraction, and a substantial source (11 %) for the PM 10 mass. We propose and apply here a novel, straightforward, coupled radiocarbon-levoglucosan marker method for source apportionment of the major carbonaceous chemical species. The contributions of EC and OC from FF combustion (EC FF and OC FF ) to the TC were 11.0 and 25 %, respectively, EC and OC from BB (EC BB and OC BB ) were responsible for 5.8 and 34 %, respectively, of the TC, while the OC from biogenic sources (OC BIO ) made up 24 % of the TC. The overall relative uncertainty of the OC BIO and OC BB contributions was assessed to be up to 30 %, while the relative uncertainty for the other apportioned species is expected to be below 20 %. Evaluation of the apportioned atmospheric concentrations revealed some of their important properties and relationships among them. EC FF and OC FF were associated with different FF combustion sources. Most EC FF was emitted by vehicular road traffic, while the contribution of non-vehicular sources such as domestic and industrial heating or cooking using gas, oil or coal to OC FF was substantial. The mean contribution of BB to EC particles was smaller by a factor of approximately 2 than that of road traffic. The main formation processes of OC FF , OC BB and OC BIO from volatile organic compounds were jointly influenced by a common factor, which is most likely the atmospheric photochemistry, while primary organic emissions can also be important. Technological improvements and control measures for various BB appliances, together with efficient education and training of their users, in particular on the admissible fuel types, offer an important potential for improving the air quality in Budapest, and likely in other cities as well.

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“…In pristine tropical rainforest air, fungal spores account for up to Â45% of coarse particulate matter. Thus, the properties and effects of fungal spores may be particularly important in tropical regions where both, physico-chemical processes in the atmosphere and biological activity at the Earth's surface are particularly intense (Graham et al, 2003;Gilbert, 2005;Elbert et al, 2007;Po¨schl et al, 2010;Zhang et al, 2010), but chemical tracers typical of fungal spores have also been reported in aerosols from semi-arid and arid sites . Most airborne fungi belong to the divisions of Ascomycota and Basidiomycota (Fro¨hlich-Nowoisky et al, 2009).…”

Section: Fungal Spores and Fragmentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Primary biological aerosol particles in the atmosphere: a review

Després¹,

Huffman

Burrows³

et al. 2012

Tellus B: Chemical and Physical Meteorology

1,170

1,114

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A B S T R A C T Atmospheric aerosol particles of biological origin are a very diverse group of biological materials and structures, including microorganisms, dispersal units, fragments and excretions of biological organisms. In recent years, the impact of biological aerosol particles on atmospheric processes has been studied with increasing intensity, and a wealth of new information and insights has been gained. This review outlines the current knowledge on major categories of primary biological aerosol particles (PBAP): bacteria and archaea, fungal spores and fragments, pollen, viruses, algae and cyanobacteria, biological crusts and lichens and others like plant or animal fragments and detritus. We give an overview of sampling methods and physical, chemical and biological techniques for PBAP analysis (cultivation, microscopy, DNA/RNA analysis, chemical tracers, optical and mass spectrometry, etc.). Moreover, we address and summarise the current understanding and open questions concerning the influence of PBAP on the atmosphere and climate, i.e. their optical properties and their ability to act as ice nuclei (IN) or cloud condensation nuclei (CCN). We suggest that the following research activities should be pursued in future studies of atmospheric biological aerosol particles: (1) develop efficient and reliable analytical techniques for the identification and quantification of PBAP; (2) apply advanced and standardised techniques to determine the abundance and diversity of PBAP and their seasonal variation at regional and global scales (atmospheric biogeography); (3) determine the emission rates, optical properties, IN and CCN activity of PBAP in field measurements and laboratory experiments; (4) use field and laboratory data to constrain numerical models of atmospheric transport, transformation and climate effects of PBAP.

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Contribution of fungal spores to particulate matter in a tropical rainforest

Cited by 105 publications

References 63 publications

Characterization of Ambient PM10 Bioaerosols in a California Agricultural Town

Characterization of Ambient PM10 Bioaerosols in a California Agricultural Town

Source apportionment of carbonaceous chemical species to fossil fuel combustion, biomass burning and biogenic emissions by a coupled radiocarbon–levoglucosan marker method

Primary biological aerosol particles in the atmosphere: a review

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