Airborne Bacteria in Gliwice—The Industrialized City in Poland

Abstract

The results of the study on the characteristics of the viable (culturable) and total bacterial particles in the ambient air in Gliwice, Poland, are presented. The concentration of viable bacteria in the air ranged from 57 CFU m−3 (Colony Forming Units per cubic meter) during winter to 305 CFU m−3 in spring, while the concentration of all bacteria (live and dead) in the air, measured in selected days, ranged from 298 cells m−3 in winter to over 25 thousand per m3 in autumn. A field study was also carried out to find out the level of the sterilization rate (k) for airborne bacteria. The obtained value of k for viable bacteria exposed to UV solar radiation in Gliwice was approximately 10 cm2 W−1s−1. The patterns of the size distributions of viable bacteria found in three seasons, spring, summer, and autumn, were similar, showing a peak in the range of 3.3–4.7 µm. In the winter season, the main peak was shifted into the smaller particles with an aerodynamic diameter ranging from 2.1 to 4.7 µm. The dominant group of culturable bacteria within the studied period was Gram-positive rods-forming endospores (34–55%), while the least frequent were Gram-negative rods (2%). This research can be used to assess the health effects of exposure to bacterial aerosols in people living in this area.