Microbial Virulence Factors, Antimicrobial Resistance Genes, Metabolites, and Synthetic Chemicals in Cabins of Commercial Aircraft
Xi Fu,
Mei Zhang,
Yiwen Yuan,
Yang Chen,
Zheyuan Ou,
Zailina Hashim,
Jamal Hisham Hashim,
Xin Zhang,
Zhuohui Zhao,
Dan Norbäck,
Yu Sun
Affiliations
Xi Fu
Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center of Public Health Detection and Assessment, School of Public Health, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510006, China
Mei Zhang
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Protein Function and Regulation in Agricultural Organisms, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
Yiwen Yuan
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Protein Function and Regulation in Agricultural Organisms, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
Yang Chen
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Protein Function and Regulation in Agricultural Organisms, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
Zheyuan Ou
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Protein Function and Regulation in Agricultural Organisms, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
Zailina Hashim
Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, UPM, Serdang 43400, Malaysia
Jamal Hisham Hashim
Universiti Selangor, Shah Alam 40000, Malaysia
Xin Zhang
Institute of Environmental Science, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China
Zhuohui Zhao
Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety of the Ministry of Education, NHC Key Laboratory of Health Technology Assessment, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
Dan Norbäck
Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of Medical Science, University Hospital, Uppsala University, 75237 Uppsala, Sweden
Yu Sun
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Protein Function and Regulation in Agricultural Organisms, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
Passengers are at a higher risk of respiratory infections and chronic diseases due to microbial exposure in airline cabins. However, the presence of virulence factors (VFs), antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs), metabolites, and chemicals are yet to be studied. To address this gap, we collected dust samples from the cabins of two airlines, one with textile seats (TSC) and one with leather seats (LSC), and analyzed the exposure using shotgun metagenomics and LC/MS. Results showed that the abundances of 17 VFs and 11 risk chemicals were significantly higher in TSC than LSC (p Haemophilus parainfluenzae and Streptococcus pneumoniae. The predominant risk chemicals in TSC included pesticides/herbicides (carbofuran, bromacil, and propazine) and detergents (triethanolamine, diethanolamine, and diethyl phthalate). The abundances of these VFs and detergents followed the trend of TSC > LSC > school classrooms (p < 0.01), potentially explaining the higher incidence of infectious and chronic inflammatory diseases in aircraft. The level of ARGs in aircraft was similar to that in school environments. This is the first multi-omic survey in commercial aircraft, highlighting that surface material choice is a potential intervention strategy for improving passenger health.
