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In the atmosphere at an altitude of up to 3000 meters above sea level, living microorganisms - bacteria and fungi, some of which are dangerous for humans - have been found. Air sampling during flights over Japan and comparison with samples on the surface helped to identify them. As it turned out, at high altitude, the diversity of microorganisms was not inferior to that near the surface. Such a finding indicates a previously unknown way of transferring pathogenic microorganisms over long distances. Its have described in a magazine article Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Where did microorganisms come from at such a height?
The scientists inoculated microorganisms from air samples onto nutrient media, examined them, and found that they originated in the agricultural regions of northeastern China. This was confirmed by the high content of aluminum and zinc in the air, which are found in clay soils, and potassium, which is a component of fertilizers. Air masses reached Tokyo from northeastern China in an average of two days.
In total, scientists managed to detect 305 genera of bacteria and 266 fungi in air samples. Among the detected microorganisms were potential human pathogens: 35 percent of bacterial species and 39 percent of fungal species could potentially pose a risk to human health. In addition, some of the bacteria found at such altitudes were resistant to antibiotics, suggesting the ability of resistance genes to travel long distances with air currents.
