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. 2012 Apr;78(8):2813-8.
doi: 10.1128/AEM.07695-11. Epub 2012 Feb 10.

Influence of air quality on the composition of microbial pathogens in fresh rainwater

Rajni Kaushik  1 , Rajasekhar Balasubramanian, Armah A de la Cruz
Affiliations

Influence of air quality on the composition of microbial pathogens in fresh rainwater

Rajni Kaushik et al. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2012 Apr.

Abstract

In this study, the microbiological quality of fresh rainwater was assessed from 50 rain events under tropical weather conditions for a year. The levels of four major opportunistic waterborne pathogens, namely, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Aeromonas hydrophila, in rainwater samples were quantified by using a robust and sensitive quantitative PCR (qPCR) method. Of the 50 rainwater samples, 25 were found to be positive for at least one pathogen: 21 for E. coli, 16 for P. aeruginosa, 6 for K. pneumoniae, and 1 for A. hydrophila. In addition to the microbiological assessment of rainwater samples, we also studied the influence of prevailing air quality on the microbial quality of rainwater over the sampling period. A significant change in the diversity and relative abundance of the basic microbial indicator organisms in rainwater was observed during a major regional air pollution episode in Southeast Asia due to biomass-burning emissions.

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Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1
Prevalences of E. coli, P. aeruginosa, K. pneumoniae, and A. hydrophila in Singapore rainwater from June 2009 to May 2010 as determined by qPCR.
Fig 2
Fig 2
Temporal variations in PM2.5 (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of ≤2.5 μm) concentrations and PSI values, recorded in Singapore from August through October 2009.
Fig 3
Fig 3
Numbers of microbial pathogens in rainwater during haze and nonhaze periods.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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