Biogenic characteristics of microparticles in big cities: structure of microbial community, pathogenicity and driving factors (MicroAir).

Particulate matter (PM) is recognized among the most harmful pollutants for the human health in cities and mega cities with particles smaller than 10 µm being considered as the most dangerous. European Environmental Agency attributes up to 1150 premature deaths per millions of habitants to harmful exposure to PM. Given that, the causes of the toxicity of PM exposure are not well addressed till now. Recently, biogenic fraction connected to airborn PM was proposed among one of the potential causes alongside physico-chemical composition. Among this fraction could be named pathogenic and allergenic bacteria, viruses, fungi and pollens. Few available results suggest that particulate in the air is characterized by a big biological specific richness and possess a considerable variability in space and time. Environmental factors involved in shaping the airborne microbial community are many and necessitates ulterior evaluation.

The project aims to conduct a comprehensive multidisciplinary study of the biological and physico-chemical characteristics of PM in urban environments characterized by different climatic characteristics. Particularly, MicroAir will address how chemical and biological characteristics of PM are linked to each other, to the distance from the source of pollution and presence of the green infrastructure and to the climatic particularities of the city and mircoclimate of the sampling place. Competencies in the field of microbiology, molecular biology, chemistry, climatology, urban ecology, plant and soil biology will be involved in the project realization with effective combination of modern and classical experimental approaches.  

According to the proposed aims, to be involved in the project there were chosen three cities situated in different climatic regions:  Murmansk (Subarctic, av. annual temperature 0.6°C), Moscow (Temperate, av. annual temperature 5.8°C), Turin (Mediterranean, av. annual temperature 12.5°C). In each city a network of samplers will be collecting the PM in the locations, different in terms of the distance to the pollution source (traffic roads) and in control non contaminated area. In each site will be characterized the seasonal variation of PM sampled in the air, on leaf surfaces and sealed surfaces in terms of quantity and quality with detailed physico-chemical and biological characterization. 

MicroAir is in its initial stage and will have a 3 year duration. The obtained data will serve to characterize the role of the green infrastructure, anthropogenic load, climate and seasonality in shaping chemical and microbiological characteristic of particulate matter and hence in determining the quality of the air in the cities. Will be identified the distribution and activity of potentially-pathogenic and allergenic agents and evaluated whether their presence in PM is linked to the typical seasonal peaks in the registration of certain health disturbances. These knowledge will serve to develop measures for the improvement of the air quality in urban environment and to support decision-making in the field of environmental design, planning and sustainable development of the cities.  

The project was funded by RFBR, project number 19-05-50112.