ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

Home → Health

How bacteria travel thousands of kilometers piggybacking on airborne dust

As winds pick up dirt and sand, they also pick up any microbes adhering to those particles, potentially introducing them to new locations.

Derek SmithbyDerek Smith
November 23, 2022
in Biology, Health
A A
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterSubmit to Reddit
Dust from the Arabian Peninsula blew over the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea on 29 September 2011, potentially bringing bacteria along for the ride. Credit: Jeff Schmaltz, NASA GSFC, MODIS Rapid Response Team.

When winds lift dust off the ground, attached bacteria go along for the ride. These airborne bacteria make up aerobiomes, which, when the dust settles again, can alter environmental chemistry and affect human and animal health, although scientists do not know exactly how.

In a new study, Gat et al. collected airborne dust at different times in Rehovot, Israel. The researchers used DNA sequencing to identify the bacterial community composition in the dust, whereas trajectory modeling revealed the dust’s origins. The researchers found that dust from different locations, including North Africa, Saudi Arabia, and Syria, could bring diverse bacterial communities from hundreds to thousands of kilometers away.

To determine where the bacteria in Israel’s aerobiomes come from, the researchers compared the aerobiomes to bacterial communities on plant leaf surfaces, in soils in Israel, in seawater from the Mediterranean and Red Seas, and in dust sampled in Saudi Arabia near the shore of the Red Sea. Aerobiomes collected in Israel were most similar to aerobiomes collected in Saudi Arabia, which shows that a significant amount of the bacteria—roughly 33%—in Israeli air can come from faraway locations.

Bacterial communities on the ground were less similar to aerobiomes in Israel. However, 34% of Israel’s aerobiome bacteria, on average, likely came from Israeli soils, showing that soil can exchange a significant number of bacteria with aerobiomes. Fewer aerobiome bacteria were contributed by plant surfaces (11%) and by water from the Mediterranean and Red Seas (0.9%).

Understanding how aerobiomes could affect environments and health requires that scientists know what genes they carry, so the researchers compared the bacterial genes observed in airborne dust in Israel with those of the communities from the other examined environments. They found that on average, the dust bacteria contained greater proportions of genes that biodegrade organic contaminants like benzoate and confer antibiotic resistance compared with the bacteria in seawater, plant surfaces, or soils. According to the researchers, higher proportions of these genes suggest widespread anthropogenic fingerprints on aerobiome community composition and function.

Dust-driven dispersal of antibiotic resistance genes could affect human and livestock health, according to the researchers, but site-specific analyses are needed to test whether dust introduces new antibiotic resistance to a given location. In addition, the antibiotic-resistant bacteria in dust may not be viable. To test this, the researchers plan to look for bacterial RNA in dust samples, which would indicate living bacteria cells. (Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences, https://doi.org/10.1029/2022JG007022, 2022)

This article originally appeared in Eos Magazine.

RelatedPosts

AI Simulates Half a Billion Years of Evolution to Create a Glowing Protein That Nature Never Could
‘Trimming the fat’ — the implications for research and education
The surprising health problem surging in over 50s: sexually transmitted infections
This is probably the best way to spot bacteria in a fluid

ShareTweetShare
Derek Smith

Derek Smith

Related Posts

Culture & Society

What’s Seasonal Body Image Dissatisfaction and How Not to Fall into Its Trap

byAlexandra Gerea
1 day ago
Mind & Brain

Why a 20-Minute Nap Could Be Key to Unlocking ‘Eureka!’ Moments Like Salvador Dalí

byTibi Puiu
1 day ago
Anthropology

The world’s oldest boomerang is even older than we thought, but it’s not Australian

byMihai Andrei
1 day ago
Future

Swarms of tiny robots could go up your nose, melt the mucus and clean your sinuses

byMihai Andrei
1 day ago

Recent news

What’s Seasonal Body Image Dissatisfaction and How Not to Fall into Its Trap

June 28, 2025

Why a 20-Minute Nap Could Be Key to Unlocking ‘Eureka!’ Moments Like Salvador Dalí

June 28, 2025

The world’s oldest boomerang is even older than we thought, but it’s not Australian

June 27, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Editorial Policy
  • Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
  • How we review products
  • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Science News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Space
  • Future
  • Features
    • Natural Sciences
    • Physics
      • Matter and Energy
      • Quantum Mechanics
      • Thermodynamics
    • Chemistry
      • Periodic Table
      • Applied Chemistry
      • Materials
      • Physical Chemistry
    • Biology
      • Anatomy
      • Biochemistry
      • Ecology
      • Genetics
      • Microbiology
      • Plants and Fungi
    • Geology and Paleontology
      • Planet Earth
      • Earth Dynamics
      • Rocks and Minerals
      • Volcanoes
      • Dinosaurs
      • Fossils
    • Animals
      • Mammals
      • Birds
      • Fish
      • Amphibians
      • Reptiles
      • Invertebrates
      • Pets
      • Conservation
      • Animal facts
    • Climate and Weather
      • Climate change
      • Weather and atmosphere
    • Health
      • Drugs
      • Diseases and Conditions
      • Human Body
      • Mind and Brain
      • Food and Nutrition
      • Wellness
    • History and Humanities
      • Anthropology
      • Archaeology
      • History
      • Economics
      • People
      • Sociology
    • Space & Astronomy
      • The Solar System
      • Sun
      • The Moon
      • Planets
      • Asteroids, meteors & comets
      • Astronomy
      • Astrophysics
      • Cosmology
      • Exoplanets & Alien Life
      • Spaceflight and Exploration
    • Technology
      • Computer Science & IT
      • Engineering
      • Inventions
      • Sustainability
      • Renewable Energy
      • Green Living
    • Culture
    • Resources
  • Videos
  • Reviews
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Editorial policy
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.