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.
Aerosols of biological origin play a vital role in the Earth system, particularly in the interactions between atmosphere, biosphere, climate, and public health. Airborne bacteria, fungal spores, pollen, and other bioparticles are essential for the reproduction and spread of organisms across various ecosystems, and they can cause or enhance human, animal, and plant diseases. Moreover, they can serve as nuclei for cloud droplets, ice crystals, and precipitation, thus influencing the hydrological cycle and climate. The sources, abundance, composition, and effects of biological aerosols and the atmospheric microbiome are, however, not yet well characterized and constitute a large gap in the scientific understanding of the interaction and co-evolution of life and climate in the Earth system. This review presents an overview of the state of bioaerosol research, highlights recent advances, and outlines future perspectives in terms o fbioaerosolidentification, characterization, transport, and transforma- tion processes, as well as their interactions with climate, health, and ecosystems, focusing on the role bioaerosols play in the Earth system
Fungal spores can account for large proportions of air particulate matter, and they may potentially influence the hydrological cycle and climate as nuclei for water droplets and ice crystals in clouds, fog, and precipitation. Moreover, some fungi are major pathogens and allergens. The diversity of airborne fungi is, however, not well-known. By DNA analysis we found pronounced differences in the relative abundance and seasonal cycles of various groups of fungi in coarse and fine particulate matter, with more plant pathogens in the coarse fraction and more human pathogens and allergens in the respirable fine particle fraction (<3 m). Moreover, the ratio of Basidiomycota to Ascomycota was found to be much higher than previously assumed, which might also apply to the biosphere.atmospheric aerosol ͉ bioaerosol ͉ DNA analysis ͉ fungal spores R ecent studies have shown that fungal spores and other biological particles can account for large proportions of aerosol particle mass in pristine rainforest air as well as in rural and urban environments (1-5). For example, fungal spores were found to account for up to 45% of coarse particle mass (Ͼ1 m) in tropical rainforest air and up to 4-11% of fine particle mass (Յ2.5 m) in urban and rural air (3). Fungi have also been found in clouds, fog, and precipitation where these and other biological particles can act as nuclei for water droplets and ice crystals and can influence precipitation patterns and the Earth's energy budget (e.g., refs. 6-17). On average, the number and mass concentrations of fungal spores in continental boundary layer air are on the order of 10 3 -10 4 m Ϫ3 and approximately 1 g m Ϫ3 , respectively, and the estimated global emissions of approximately 50 Tg yr Ϫ1 are among the largest sources of organic aerosol (1).Some fungi are major pathogens or allergens for humans, animals, and plants, and air is the primary medium for their dispersal (18)(19)(20), but the diversity of fungi in air particulate matter is not well-known. The traditional cultivation, microscopy, and chemical tracer techniques applied in earlier studies were insufficient for a broad coverage of different fungal species, and recently reported first applications of molecular genetic techniques were very limited in scope and methodology as discussed below.In this study, we investigated and characterized the diversity and frequency of occurrence of fungi in air particulate matter by DNA extraction and sequence analysis of the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS).
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