Comparison of bacterial community structure in PM2.5 during hazy and non-hazy periods in Guilin, South China

Abstract

In recent years, significant efforts have been made to study changes in the levels of air pollutants at regional and urban scales, and changes in bioaerosols during air pollution events have attracted increasing attention. In this study, the bacterial structure of PM2.5 was analysed under different environmental conditions during hazy and non-hazy periods in Guilin. A total of 32 PM2.5 samples were collected in December 2020 and July 2021, and the microbial community structures were analysed using high-throughput sequencing methods. The results show that air pollution and climate change alter the species distribution and community diversity of bacteria in PM2.5, particularly Sphingomonas and Pseudomonas. The structure of the bacterial community composition is related to diurnal variation, vertical height, and urban area and their interactions with various environmental factors. This is a comprehensive study that characterises the variability of bacteria associated with PM2.5 in a variety of environments, highlighting the impacts of environmental effects on the atmospheric microbial community. The results will contribute to our understanding of haze trends in China, particularly the relationship between bioaerosol communities and the urban environment.