Analysis and Survey of PM2.5 from a Biological Viewpoint at Kyushu University Ito Campus

• Published in: BUNSEKI KAGAKU Vol. 69; no. 12; pp. 741 - 746
• Main Authors: MIURA, Karin, IDE, Sachiko, NAITO, Toyohiro, SHIMADA, Taisuke, YASUI, Takao, BABA, Yoshinobu, KAJI, Noritada
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Japanese
• Published: Tokyo The Japan Society for Analytical Chemistry 01.01.2020; Japan Science and Technology Agency
• Subjects: 16S rRNA; Asthma; bacteria; Gene sequencing; PM2.5; Respiratory diseases
• ISSN: 0525-1931
• DOI: 10.2116/bunsekikagaku.69.741

Fine particulate matter sized 2.5 μm or less, referred to as PM2.5, causes serious air pollution in urban cities and is responsible for several health problems, such as respiratory disease and asthma in urban populations. Although seasonal Asian dust, called Kosa (∼ 5 μm), has been extensively studied for over decades, and has been shown to be an allergen in Japan, the influence of PM2.5 on human health has remained unclear due to the intrinsic chemical and biological complexity of isolating variables for study. In this study, PM2.5 was collected at Ito Campus in Kyushu University, Fukuoka, located in extreme western Japan and its physical and biological characteristics were analyzed. The presence of bacteria, Firmicutes genus Bacillus, Lysinibacillus, Paenibacillus, Gracilibacillus, and Solibacillus in the collected PM2.5 sample was confirmed by culturing and conducting DNA sequencing of their 16S rRNA gene.