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Relationship of Atmospheric Pollution Characterized by Gas (NO2) and Particles (PM10) to Microbial Communities Living in Bryophytes at Three Differently Polluted Sites (Rural, Urban, and Industrial)

  • Environmental Microbiology
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Abstract

Atmospheric pollution has become a major problem for modern societies owing to its fatal effects on both human health and ecosystems. We studied the relationships of nitrogen dioxide atmospheric pollution and metal trace elements contained in atmospheric particles which were accumulated in bryophytes to microbial communities of bryophytes at three differently polluted sites in France (rural, urban, and industrial) over an 8-month period. The analysis of bryophytes showed an accumulation of Cr and Fe at the rural site; Cr, Fe, Zn, Cu, Al, and Pb at the urban site; and Fe, Cr, Pb, Al, Sr, Cu, and Zn at the industrial site. During this study, the structure of the microbial communities which is characterized by biomasses of microbial groups evolved differently according to the site. Microalgae, bacteria, rotifers, and testate amoebae biomasses were significantly higher in the rural site. Cyanobacteria biomass was significantly higher at the industrial site. Fungal and ciliate biomasses were significantly higher at the urban and industrial sites for the winter period and higher at the rural site for the spring period. The redundancy analysis showed that the physico-chemical variables ([NO2], relative humidity, temperature, and site) and the trace elements which were accumulated in bryophytes ([Cu], [Sr], [Pb]) explained 69.3% of the variance in the microbial community data. Moreover, our results suggest that microbial communities are potential biomonitors of atmospheric pollution. Further research is needed to understand the causal relationship underlined by the observed patterns.

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Acknowledgments

The present work was financially supported by the PRIMEQUAL program. I thank C. Morilhat for their advice with regards to statistical analyses and C. Fritsch for her assistance at the time of bacterial colorings. I also thank Meteo France for their collaboration in weather data acquisition and all the people who helped me both for the chemical analyses and the installation and the operation of the weather station.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chrono-Environment, UMR 6249, University of Franche-Comte, Place Leclerc, 25030, Besançon, France

    Caroline Meyer & Nadine Bernard

  2. Department of Chrono-Environment, UMR 6249, University of Franche-Comte, 4 place Tharradin, B.P. 71427, 25 211, Montbéliard Cedex, France

    Daniel Gilbert & Marielle Franchi

  3. Groupe d’Analyses Elémentaires, Laboratoire Pierre Süe (cnrs/cea), CEA Saclay, 91191, Gif-sur-Yvette, France

    André Gaudry

  4. Department of Public Health and Epidemiology, Swiss Tropical Institute, Socinstrasse 57, P.O Box, 4002, Basel, Switzerland

    Hung Nguyen-Viet

  5. Département de Botanique et de Cryptogamie, Faculté des Sciences Pharmaceutiques et Biologiques de Lille, B.P. 83, 59006, Lille Cedex, France

    Juliette Fabure

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  1. Caroline Meyer
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Correspondence to Caroline Meyer.

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Meyer, C., Gilbert, D., Gaudry, A. et al. Relationship of Atmospheric Pollution Characterized by Gas (NO2) and Particles (PM10) to Microbial Communities Living in Bryophytes at Three Differently Polluted Sites (Rural, Urban, and Industrial). Microb Ecol 59, 324–334 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-009-9580-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-009-9580-2

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