Urban greenness and plant species are key factors in shaping air microbiomes and reducing airborne pathogens

Hu Li; Zhi-Feng Wu; Xiao-Ru Yang; Xin-Li An; Yin Ren; Jian-Qiang Su

Environment International (Aug 2021)

Urban greenness and plant species are key factors in shaping air microbiomes and reducing airborne pathogens

Hu Li,
Zhi-Feng Wu,
Xiao-Ru Yang,
Xin-Li An,
Yin Ren,
Jian-Qiang Su

Affiliations

Hu Li: Key Lab of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China; Center for Excellence in Regional Atmospheric Environment, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China
Zhi-Feng Wu: Key Lab of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China; Fujian Key Laboratory of Watershed Ecology, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China
Xiao-Ru Yang: Key Lab of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China; Center for Excellence in Regional Atmospheric Environment, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China
Xin-Li An: Key Lab of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China; Center for Excellence in Regional Atmospheric Environment, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China
Yin Ren: Key Lab of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China; Fujian Key Laboratory of Watershed Ecology, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China; Corresponding authors at: Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1799 Jimei Road, Xiamen 361021, China (Y. Ren). Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1799 Jimei Road, Xiamen 361021, China (J.Q. Su).
Jian-Qiang Su: Key Lab of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China; Center for Excellence in Regional Atmospheric Environment, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China; Corresponding authors at: Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1799 Jimei Road, Xiamen 361021, China (Y. Ren). Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1799 Jimei Road, Xiamen 361021, China (J.Q. Su).

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 153
p. 106539

Abstract

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Urban green space has been implicated in shaping airborne microbes, but there is an only rudimentary understanding of the key factors of urban green space affecting the composition and structures of airborne microbes. Here, we selected 40 urban sites based on stratified random sampling design and investigated the effects of multiple factors including landscapes, plant, soil, and anthropogenic factors on airborne microbial communities, especially bacterial and fungal pathogens. Bacterial and fungal communities in the control area with lower greenness were significantly (P 30% masson pine. Together, these results provide insights into the importance of green space for providing health benefits for city dwellers by reducing pathogens in air, as well as providing support for the inclusion of plant species in the management of urban green space to reduce exposure risk of airborne pathogens.

Published in Environment International

ISSN: 0160-4120 (Print)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Geography. Anthropology. Recreation: Environmental sciences
Website: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/environment-international

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