Abstract
We evaluated the impact of Saharan dust storms on the local airborne microbiome in a city in the Eastern Mediterranean area. Samples of particles with diameter less than 10 μm were collected during two spring seasons on both dusty and nondusty days. DNA was extracted, and partial 16S rRNA gene amplicons were sequenced using the Illumina platform. Bioinformatic analysis showed the effect of dust events on the diversity of the atmospheric microbiome. The relative abundance of desert soil-associated bacteria increased during dust events, while the relative abundance of anthropogenic-influenced taxa decreased. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction measurements of selected clinically significant antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) showed that their relative abundance decreased during dust events. The ARG profiles on dust-free days were similar to those in aerosol collected in a poultry house, suggesting a strong agricultural influence on the local ambient profiles. We conclude that dust storms enrich the ambient airborne microbiome with new soil-derived bacteria that disappear as the dust settles, suggesting that the bacteria are transported attached to the dust particles. Dust storms do not seem to be an important vector for transport of probed ARGs.
Original language | American English |
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Pages (from-to) | 4194-4202 |
Number of pages | 9 |
Journal | Environmental Science & Technology |
Volume | 50 |
Issue number | 8 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 3 May 2016 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:This study was supported by the Israel Science Foundation (grant 913/12) and the Dollond Charitable Trust. We acknowledge Dr. Stefan Green for the Illumina sequencing, Dr. Shelly Druyan for access to the poultry site, Dr. Naama Lang-Yona and Dr. Yoav Barak for assistance in the biological analyses, and Prof. Arnon Karnieli for establishing and maintaining Aeronet's Nes-Ziona and Sede Boker sites.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2016 American Chemical Society.