The concentrations of culturable microorganisms in relation to particulate matter in urban air

The ambient air consists not only of gases but also of bioaerosols and particulate matter. The concentrations of particulate matter in relation to the culturable microorganisms in the urban ambient air and their dependence on air temperature and relative humidity were investigated. The seasonal distribution of particles sizes, the concentrations of aerobic mesophilic bacteria and xerophilic fungi in the air were evaluated. Moreover, the identification of the fungal genera Cladosporium, Aspergillus and Penicillium were conducted. Within one year at 177 days particle and microorganism concentrations in the ambient air were recorded in the city centre of Graz/Austria. The results show that the concentrations of fine particles and coarse particles were the highest in winter and decreased continuously to a minimum in the summer months depending on temperature and air humidity. The concentrations of xerophilic fungi showed no correlation to the different particle concentrations. The spore concentrations of Cladosporium spp. showed the same results of xerophilic fungi whereas the genera Penicillium and Aspergillus increased with the increase of fine particles. The concentrations of mesophilic bacteria were positively correlated with all particle counts. The maximum mesophilic bacteria concentrations were found in the winter months. Further studies are required to evaluate the concentrations of specific microorganisms in the natural environment in relation to the particulate matter. ► Relation between the concentrations of particles, fungi and bacteria in the air. ► Xerophilic fungi did not correlate with particle counts. ► Penicillium and Aspergillus genera increased with the increase of fine particles. ► Cladosporium spp. did not correlate with particle counts. ► Bacteria correlated with particle counts, especially with the coarse particles.