High concentrations of biological aerosol particles and ice nuclei during and after rain
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Abstract
Abstract. Bioaerosols are relevant for public health and may play an important role in the climate system, but their atmospheric abundance, properties, and sources are not well understood. Here we show that the concentration of airborne biological particles in a North American forest ecosystem increases significantly during rain and that bioparticles are closely correlated with atmospheric ice nuclei (IN). The greatest increase of bioparticles and IN occurred in the size range of 2–6 μm, which is characteristic for bacterial aggregates and fungal spores. By DNA analysis we found high diversities of airborne bacteria and fungi, including groups containing human and plant pathogens (mildew, smut and rust fungi, molds, Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonadaceae). In addition to detecting known bacterial and fungal IN (Pseudomonas sp., Fusarium sporotrichioides), we discovered two species of IN-active fungi that were not previously known as biological ice nucleators (Isaria farinosa and Acremonium implicatum). Our findings suggest that atmospheric bioaerosols, IN, and rainfall are more tightly coupled than previously assumed.
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FBAP have been shown to increase dramatically during rainfall, a process reported for a site in Colorado and at Hyytiälä.
“For example, FBAP have been shown to increase dramatically during rainfall, a process reported recently for both a site in Colorado (Huffman et al., 2013) and also at the Hyytiälä site (Schumacher et al., 2013).”
From Regional-scale simulations of fungal spore aerosols using an emission parameterization adapted to local measurements of fluorescent biological aerosol particles (2015) · cites this paper as Huffman et al., 2013
The abstract (page unavailable) reports that airborne biological particles increased significantly during rain in a North American forest ecosystem. The available passages do not establish that the measurement site was in Colorado or quantify the increase as dramatic. The Hyytiälä finding is attributed to a different citation, not to Huffman et al. (LLM, conf=0.78)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredAn increase in FBAP and fungal spore concentration during or shortly after rain events could not be reproduced by the simulations, as this effect is not included in the emission parameterizations to an adequate extent.
“An increase in FBAP and fungal spore concentration during or shortly after rain events (Huffman et al., 2013) could not be reproduced by the simulations, as this effect is not included in the emission parameterizations to an adequate extent.”
From Regional-scale simulations of fungal spore aerosols using an emission parameterization adapted to local measurements of fluorescent biological aerosol particles (2015) · cites this paper as Huffman et al., 2013
The Abstract (page not available in our copy) reports that airborne biological-particle concentrations increased during rain, especially in a size range characteristic of fungal spores. It does not establish a separate increase in fungal-spore concentration. The simulation and emission-parameterization statements follow the citation and are not attributed to Huffman et al. (LLM, conf=0.82)
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Cites
Asthma outbreak during a thunderstorm
Packe, G. E., & Ayres, J. (1985) · The Lancet · doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(85)91510-7 · Cited by 257 · see citing works
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Hummel, M., Hoose, C., Gallagher, M., Healy, D. A., Huffman, J. A., O'Connor, D., Pöschl, U., Pöhlker, C., Robinson, N. H., Schnaiter, M., et al. (2015) · Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics · doi:10.5194/acp-15-6127-2015 · Cited by 59 · see citing works
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- Authors
- Huffman, J. A., Prenni, A. J., DeMott, P. J., Pöhlker, C., Mason, R. H., Robinson, N. H., Fröhlich-Nowoisky, J., Tobo, Y., Després, V. R., Garcia, E., Gochis, D. J., Harris, E., Müller-Germann, I., Ruzene, C., Schmer, B., Sinha, B., Day, D. A., Andreae, M. O., Jimenez, J. L., Gallagher, M., Kreidenweis, S. M., Bertram, A. K., & Pöschl, U.
- Affiliations
- University of Denver (US)
- Colorado State University (US)
- Max Planck Institute for Chemistry (DE)
- University of British Columbia (CA)
- University of Manchester (GB)
- Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (DE)
- NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research (US)
- Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Mohali (IN)
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (US)
- Corresponding author
- Huffman, J. A.
- DeMott, P. J.
- Tobo, Y.
- Sinha, B.
- Day, D. A.
- Andreae, M. O.
- Jimenez, J. L.
- Gallagher, M.
- Kreidenweis, S. M.
- Bertram, A. K.
- ORCID
- Venue
- Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
- Publisher
- Copernicus GmbH
- Published
- 2013-07-01
- Volume
- 13
- Issue
- 13
- Pages
- 6151-6164
- ISSN
- 1680-7316 (ISSN-L)
- 1680-7324
- OpenAlex
- W2157528493
- Cited by
- 468
- References
- 1
- Citations by year
- 2026: 17 · 2025: 28 · 2024: 31 · 2023: 42 · 2022: 40 · 2021: 65 · 2020: 48 · 2019: 45 · 2018: 27 · 2017: 40 · 2016: 33 · 2015: 26 · 2014: 15 · 2013: 9 · 2012: 2
- FWCI
- 21.10
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Atmospheric chemistry and physics (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- Research Explorer (The University of Manchester) (publishedVersion, other-oa)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics (submittedVersion)
- MPG.PuRe (Max Planck Society) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- National Science Foundation (1036028, 0919189, 0919042)
- U.S. Department of Energy (DESC0006035)
- National Center for Atmospheric Research
- University of Pennsylvania
- Colorado State University
- Pennsylvania State University
- University of Denver (FOR 1525 INUIT)
- Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (FOR-1525, FOR 1525 (INUIT))
- Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz
- Max-Planck-Gesellschaft
- U.S. Forest Service
- Defence Science and Technology Laboratory
- Natural Environment Research Council (NE/H019049/1)
- Japan Society for the Promotion of Science
- Defence Science and Technology Group
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Atmospheric aerosols and clouds
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Atmospheric Science › Atmospheric chemistry and aerosols
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Indoor Air Quality and Microbial Exposure
- Keywords
- bioaerosols, ice nuclei, rainfall, bacterial aggregates, fungal spores, airborne bacteria, airborne fungi, DNA-based species identification, Isaria farinosa, Pseudomonas, Fusarium sporotrichioides, forests
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