Characterization of airborne microbial communities at suburban and high-altitude sites in Toyama, Japan

摘要

Biological material, such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, algae, and pollens, are present in the atmosphere. They could have important implications for human health, agriculture, cloud development, and biogeography (Burrows et al. 2009). Furthermore, the abundance of aerosolized biological materials in the atmosphere can affect global climate. Nevertheless, these effects have not been fully elucidated, partly because the diversity and spatiotemporal dynamics of atmospheric microorganisms or their transport pathways remain largely unknown (Gandolfi et al. 2013). Accordingly, the objective of this study was to characterize microbial populations in the atmosphere at suburban and high-altitude sites in Toyama, Japan.