Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Interhemispheric transport of viable fungi and bacteria from Africa to the Caribbean with soil dust

  • Published:
Aerobiologia Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract.

Daily aerosol samples collected in trade winds at Barbados, West Indies, throughout 1996–1997 yielded significant concentrations of viable (culture-forming) bacteria and fungi only when African dust was present. Air masses from the North Atlantic, North America, and Europe yielded no cultivable organisms. The strong association of cultivable organisms with African dust suggests various factors that might be relevant to viability. Although we did not specifically look for pathogens, these same mechanisms could protect them as well. Our results suggest that arid regions could be an important source for the long-range transport of viable microorganisms. The transport of microorganisms to Barbados follows a clear meteorological and seasonal pattern, which suggests that it should be possible to model the transport process and to predict events. Microorganism and dust concentrations were unusually great in 1997, possibly in response to the strong El Niño. This suggests that the long-range transport of microorganisms might be particularly responsive to climate variability in general.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • A.A.T. Al-Subai (2002) ArticleTitleAir-borne fungi at Doha, Qatar Aerobiologia 18 175–183 Occurrence Handle10.1023/A:1021344307205

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • A.S. Al-Suwaine S.M. Hasnain A.H. Bahkali (1999) ArticleTitleViable airborne fungi in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Aerobiologia 15 IssueID2 121–130 Occurrence Handle10.1023/A:1007595400116

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • R. Arimoto R.A. Duce B.J. Ray W.G. Ellis SuffixJr. J.D. Cullen J.T. Merrill (1995) ArticleTitleTrace elements in the atmosphere over the North Atlantic J. Geophys. Res. 100 1199–1214 Occurrence Handle10.1029/94JD02618

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • R. Arimoto R.A. Duce D.L. Savoie J.M. Prospero (1992) ArticleTitleTrace elements in aerosol particles from Bermuda and Barbados: concentrations, sources and relationships to aerosol sulfate J. Atmos. Chem. 14 439–457 Occurrence Handle10.1007/BF00115250

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • D.E. Aylor (1999) ArticleTitleBiophysical scaling and the passive dispersal of fungus spores: relationship to integrated pest management strategies Agric. Forest Meteorol. 97 275–292 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0168-1923(99)00072-6

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • J.K.M. Brown M.S. Hovmøller (2002) ArticleTitleAerial dispersal of pathogens on the global and continental scales and its impact on plant disease Science 297 537–541 Occurrence Handle10.1126/science.1072678 Occurrence Handle12142520

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • H.A. Burge (1995) Bioaerosol investigations Burge H.A. (Eds) Bioaerosols. Lewis Publishers Boca Raton 1–23

    Google Scholar 

  • T.N. Carlson J.M. Prospero (1972) ArticleTitleThe large–scale movement of Saharan air outbreaks over the Equatorial North Atlantic J. Appl. Meteorol. 11 283–297 Occurrence Handle10.1175/1520-0450(1972)011<0283:TLSMOS>2.0.CO;2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • I. Chiapello J.M. Prospero Herman J.R. N.C. Hsu (1999) ArticleTitleDetection of mineral dust over the North Atlantic Ocean and Africa with the Nimbus 7 TOMS J. Geophys. Res. 104 9277–9291 Occurrence Handle10.1029/1998JD200083

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • W Collins P. Rasch B. Eaton B. Khattatov J. Lamarque C. Zender (2001) ArticleTitleSimulating aerosols using a chemical transport model with assimilation of satellite aerosol retrievals Methodology for INDOEX J. Geophys. Res. 106 IssueIDD7 7313–7336 Occurrence Handle10.1029/2000JD900507

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • P. Comtois S. Isard (1999) ArticleTitleAerobiology coming of age in a new milleniuim Aerobiologia 15 259–266 Occurrence Handle10.1023/A:1007606603553

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • C.E. Cookingham W.R. Solomon (1995) Bioaerosol-induced hypersensitivity diseases Burge H.A. (Eds) Bioaerosols. Lewis Publishers Boca Raton FL ingham C–E and Solomon WR, 1995 Bioaerosolinduced hypersensitivity diseases In HA Burge eds, Bioaerosols Lewis Publishers, Boca Raton FL, pp 205233

    Google Scholar 

  • C.S. Cox (1989) ArticleTitleAirborne bacteria and viruses Sci. Prog. Oxford 73 469–500

    Google Scholar 

  • R.R. Davies (1969) ArticleTitleSpore concentrations in the atmosphere at Ahmadi, a new town in Kuwait J. Gen. Microbiol. 55 425–432 Occurrence Handle5814689

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • D. Davis G. Chen A. Bandy D. Thornton F. Eisele Mauldin␣L. D. Tanner D. Lenschow H. Fuelberg B. Huebert J. Heath Clarke A. D. Blake (1999) ArticleTitleDimethyl sulfide oxidation in the equatorial Pacific: Comparison of model simulations with field observations for DMS, SO2, H2SO4(g), MSA(g), MS, and NSS J. Geophys. Res. 104 5765–5784

    Google Scholar 

  • J.M. Davis J.F. Monahan (1991) ArticleTitleClimatology of air parcel trajectories related to the atmospheric transport of Peronospora tabacina Plant Dis. 75 706–711

    Google Scholar 

  • M. Dransfield (1966) ArticleTitleThe fungal air-spora at Samaru, Northern Nigeria Trans. Bri. Mycol. Soc. 49 121–132

    Google Scholar 

  • J.P. Dunion C.S. Velden (2004) ArticleTitleThe Impact of the Saharan Air Layer on Atlantic Tropical Cyclone Activity Bull. Am. Meteorol. Soc. 85 353–365

    Google Scholar 

  • D.A. Frenz R.T. Scamehorn J.M. Hokanson L.W. Murray (1995) ArticleTitleA brief method for analyzing Rotorod samples for pollen content Aerobiologia 12 51–54

    Google Scholar 

  • P. Ginoux M. Chin I. Tegen J.M. Prospero B. Holben O. Dubovik Lin S.-J. (2001) ArticleTitleSources and distributions of dust aerosols simulated with the GOCART model J. Geophys. Res. 106 IssueIDD17, 20255–20274 106–D17, 2025520274

    Google Scholar 

  • P. Ginoux J.M. Prospero O. Torres M. Chin (2004) ArticleTitleLong-term simulation of dust distribution with the GOCART model: correlation with the North Atlantic Oscillation Environ. Modell. Software 19 113–128

    Google Scholar 

  • D.W. Griffin V.H. Garrison J.R. Herman E.A. Shinn (2001) ArticleTitleAfrican desert dust in the Caribbean atmosphere: microbiology and public health Aerobiologia 17 IssueID3, 203–213 17–3, 203213

    Google Scholar 

  • D.W. Griffin C.A Kellogg V.H. Garrison J.T. Lisle T.C. Borden E.A. Shinn (2003) ArticleTitleAtmospheric microbiology in the northern Caribbean during African dust events Aerobiologia 19 143–157

    Google Scholar 

  • W.D. Griffiths I.W. Stewart J.M. Clark I.L. Holwill (1999) ArticleTitleProcedures for the characterisation of bioaerosol particles Part I: Aerosolisation and recovery agent effects. Aerobiologia 15 IssueID4, 267–280 15–4, 267280

    Google Scholar 

  • W.D. Griffiths I.W. Stewart J.M. Clark I.L. Holwill (2001) ArticleTitleProcedures for the characterisation of bioaerosol particles Part II: Effects of environment on culturability. Aerobiologia 17 IssueID2 109–119

    Google Scholar 

  • M. Halwagy (1989) ArticleTitleSeasonal airspora at three sites in Kuwait 1977–1982 Mycol. Res. 93 208

    Google Scholar 

  • J.R. Herman P.K. Bhartia O. Torres C. Hsu C. Seftor E. Celarier (1997) ArticleTitleGlobal distribution of UV-absorbing aerosols from Nimbus 7/TOMS data J. Geophys. Res. 102 IssueIDD14 16911–16922

    Google Scholar 

  • E.A. Holland F.J. Dentener B.H. Braswell J.M. Sulzman (1999) ArticleTitleContemporary and pre-industrial global reactive nitrogen budgets Biogeochemistry. 46 7–43

    Google Scholar 

  • N.C. Hsu J.R. Herman O. Torres B.N. Holben D. Tanre T.F. Eck A. Smirnov B. Chatenet F. Lavenu (1999) ArticleTitleComparisons of the TOMS aerosol index with Sun-photometer aerosol optical thickness: results and applications J. Geophys. Res. 104 IssueIDD6 6269–6280

    Google Scholar 

  • R.B. Husar J.M. Prospero L.L. Stowe (1997) ArticleTitleCharacterization of tropospheric aerosols over the oceans with the NOAA advanced very high resolution radiometer optical thickness operational product J. Geophys. Res. 102 IssueIDD14 16889–16909

    Google Scholar 

  • R.B. Husar D.M. Tratt B.A. Schichtel S.R. Falke F. Li D. Jaffe S. Gasso T. Gill N.S. Laulainen F. Lu M.C. Reheis Y. Chun D. Westphal B.N. Holben C. Gueymard I. McKendry N. Kuring G.C. Feldman C. McClain R.J. Frouin Merril J. D. DuBois F. Vignola T. Murayama S. Nickovic W.E. Wilson K. Sassen N. Sugimoto W.C. Malm (2001) ArticleTitleAsian dust events of April 1998 J. Geophys. Res. 106 IssueIDD16 18317–18330

    Google Scholar 

  • S.A. Isard S.H. Gage (2001) Flow of Life in the Atmosphere: An Airscape Approach to Understanding Invasive Organisms Michigan State University Press USA

    Google Scholar 

  • V.M. Karyampudi S.P. Palm J.A. Reagen H. Fang W.B. Grant R.M. Hoff C. Moulin H.F. Pierce O. Torres E.V. Browell S.H. Melfi (1999) ArticleTitleValidation of the Saharan Dust Plume Conceptual Model Using Lidar, Meteosat, and ECMWF Data Bull. Am. Met. Soc. 80 IssueID6 1045–1076

    Google Scholar 

  • Y.J. Kaufman D Tanré (419) ArticleTitleand Boucher O., 2002: A satellite view of aerosols in the climate system Nature, 215 IssueID-223 215–223

    Google Scholar 

  • Lacey J.: 1991, Aerobiology and health: the role of airborne fungal spores in respiratory disease. In: D.L. Hawksworth (ed), Frontiers in Mycology. C.A.B. International, Wallingford, Oxon, UK.

  • J. Lacey J. Venette (1995) Outdoor air sampling techniques Burge H.A. (Eds) Bioaerosols. Lewis Publishers Boca Raton 407–471

    Google Scholar 

  • E. Levetin (1995) Fungi Burge H.A. (Eds) Bioaerosols Lewis Publishers Boca Raton 87–120

    Google Scholar 

  • X. Li H. Maring D. Savoie K. Voss J.M. Prospero (1996) ArticleTitleDominance of mineral dust in aerosol light scattering in the North Atlantic trade winds Nature 380 416–419

    Google Scholar 

  • B. Lighthart (2000) ArticleTitleMini–review of the concentration variations found in the alfresco atmospheric bacterial populations Aerobiologia 16 IssueID1 7–16

    Google Scholar 

  • B. Lighthart L.D. Stetzenbach (1994) Distribution of microbial bioaerosol B. Lighthart A.J. Mohr (Eds) Atmospheric Microbial Aerosols: Theory and Applications. Kluwer Academic Publishers Boston 68–98

    Google Scholar 

  • X. Li-Jones J.M. Prospero (1998) ArticleTitleVariations in the size distribution of non-sea-salt sulfate aerosol in marine boundary layer at Barbados: Impact of African dust J. Geophys. Res. 103 IssueIDD13 16,073–16,083

    Google Scholar 

  • S.C. Liu S.A. McKeen S. Madronich (1991) ArticleTitleEffect of anthropogenic aerosols on biologically active ultraviolet radiation Geophys. Res. Lett. 18 2265–2268

    Google Scholar 

  • N.M. Mahowald C. Luo (2003) ArticleTitleA less dusty future? Geophys.Res. Lett. 30 IssueID17 1903

    Google Scholar 

  • Marthi B.: 1994, Resuscitation of microbial bioaerosols. In: B. Lighthart and A.J. Mohr (eds), Atmospheric Microbial Aerosols: Theory and Applications. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Boston, pp. 192–225.

  • M.J. McPhaden (1999) ArticleTitleGenesis and evolution of the 1997–98 El Niño Science 283 950–954 Occurrence Handle9974381

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • F.M. Mims SuffixIII B.N. Holben T.F. Eck B.C. Montgomery W.B. Grant (1997) ArticleTitleSmoky skies, mosquitoes, and disease Science 276 1774–1775 Occurrence Handle9206832

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • M.L. Muilenberg (1995) The outdoor aerosol H.A. Burge (Eds) Bioaerosols Lewis Publishers Boca Raton 163–204

    Google Scholar 

  • P.R. Murray E.J. Baron M.A. Pfaller F.C. TeNover R.H. Yolken (1999) Manual of Clinical Microbiology, (7) ASM Press Washington

    Google Scholar 

  • S.E. Nicholson (1996) Environmental change within the historical period W.M. Adams A.S. Goudie A.R. Orme (Eds) The Physical Geography of Africa. Oxford Univ. Press New York 60–87

    Google Scholar 

  • NOAA ARL HYSPLIT4: 1997, HYbrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory Model, 1997. NOAA Air Resources Laboratory, Silver Spring, MD, ().

  • K.D. Perry T.A. Cahill R.A. Eldred D.D. Dutcher T.E. Gill (1997) ArticleTitleLong-range transport of North African dust to the eastern United States J. Geophys. Res. 102 IssueIDDD10 11225–11238

    Google Scholar 

  • J.M. Prospero (1996) The atmospheric transport of particles to the ocean V. Ittekkott S. Honjo P.J. Depetris (Eds) Particle Flux in the Ocean. John Wiley New York 19–52

    Google Scholar 

  • J.M. Prospero (1999) ArticleTitleLong-term measurements of the transport of African mineral dust to the Southeastern United States: implications for regional air quality J. Geophys. Res. 104 IssueIDD13 15917–15927

    Google Scholar 

  • J.M. Prospero E. Bonatti C. Schubert T.N. Carlson (1970) ArticleTitleDust in the Caribbean atmosphere traced to an African dust storm Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 9 287–293

    Google Scholar 

  • Prospero J.M., Ginoux P., Torres O., Nicholson S. and Gill T.: 2002, Environmental characterization of global sources of atmospheric soil dust identified with the NIMBUS 7 Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) absorbing aerosol product. Rev. Geophys. 40 (1), doi:10.1029/2000RG000095.

  • J.M. Prospero R.A. Glaccum R.T. Nees (1981) ArticleTitleAtmospheric transport of soil dust from Africa to South America Nature 289 570–572

    Google Scholar 

  • J.M. Prospero P.J. Lamb (2003) ArticleTitleAfrican droughts and dust transport to the Caribbean: climate change implications Science 302 1024–1027 Occurrence Handle14605365

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • J.M. Prospero I. Olmez M. Ames (2001) ArticleTitleAl and Fe in PM 2.5 and PM 10 suspended particles in South Central Florida: the impact of the long range transport of African mineral dust J. Water Air Soil Poll. 125 291–317

    Google Scholar 

  • Prospero J.M., Savoie D.L. and Arimoto R.: 2003, Long-term record of nss-sulfate and nitrate in aerosols on Midway Island, 1981–2000: Evidence of increased (now decreasing?) anthropogenic emissions from Asia. J. Geophys. Res. 108(D1), 4019, doi:10.1029/2001– JD001524.

    Google Scholar 

  • J.M. Prospero M. Uematsu D.L. Savoie (1989) Mineral aerosol transport to the Pacific Ocean J.P. Riley R. Chester R.A. Duce (Eds) Chemical Oceanography, Vol. 10. Academic Press San Diego 188–218

    Google Scholar 

  • L.H. Purdy S.V. Krupa J.L. Dean (1985) ArticleTitleIntroduction of sugarcane rust into the Americas and its spread to Florida Plant Disease 69 IssueID8 689–693

    Google Scholar 

  • J.S. Reid J.E. Kinney D.L. Westphal B.N. Holben E.J. Welton S.–C. Tsay D.P. Eleuterio J.R. Campbell S.A. Christopher P.R. Colarco H.H. Jonsson J.M. Livingston H.B. Maring M.L. Meier P. Pilewskie J.M. Prospero E.A. Reid L.A. Remer P.B. Russell D.L. Savoie A. Smirnov D. Tanré (2003) ArticleTitleAnalysis of measurements of Saharan dust by airborne and ground-based remote sensing methods during the Puerto Rico Dust Experiment (PRIDE) J. Geophys. Res. 108 IssueIDD19 8586

    Google Scholar 

  • J.S. Reid D.L. Westphal J.M. Livingston D.L. Savoie H.B. Maring H.H. Jonsson D.P. Eleuterio J.E. Kinney E.A. Reid (2002) ArticleTitleDust vertical distribution in the Caribbean during the Puerto Rico Dust Experiment Geophys. Res. Lett. 29 IssueID7 1151

    Google Scholar 

  • M. Ritchie D. Pedgley (1989) ArticleTitleDesert Locusts cross the Atlantic Antenna 13 10–12

    Google Scholar 

  • J. Rosenberg P.J.A. Burt (1999) ArticleTitleWindborne displacements of desert Locusts from Africa to the Caribbean and South America Aerobiologia 15 IssueID3 167–175

    Google Scholar 

  • D.L. Savoie R. Arimoto W.C. Keene J.M. Prospero R.A. Duce J.N. Galloway (2002) Marine biogenic and anthropogenic contributions to non-sea-salt sulfate in the marine boundary layer over the North Atlantic Ocean J. Geophys. Res. 107(D18)

    Google Scholar 

  • D.L. Savoie J.M. Prospero S. Oltmans W.C. Graustein K.K. Turekian J.T. Merrill H. Levy SuffixII (1992) ArticleTitleSources of nitrate and ozone in the marine boundary layer of the␣Tropical North Atlantic J. Geophys. Res. 97 11575–11589

    Google Scholar 

  • D.L. Savoie J.M. Prospero E.S. Saltzman (1989) ArticleTitleNon-sea-salt sulfate and nitrate in tradewind aerosols at Barbados: evidence for long-range transport J. Geophys. Res. 94 5069–5080

    Google Scholar 

  • A. Smirnov B.N. Holben N. Savoie J.M. Prospero Y.J. Kaufman D. Tanre T.F. Eck I. Slutsker (2000) ArticleTitleRelationship between column aerosol optical thickness and in situ ground based dust concentrations over Barbados Geophys. Res. Lett. 27 IssueID11 1643–1646

    Google Scholar 

  • R.M. Swap M. Garstang S. Greco R. Talbot P. Kallberg (1992) ArticleTitleSaharan dust in the Amazon basin Tellus B 44 133–149

    Google Scholar 

  • Y.Y. Tong B. Lighthart (1998) ArticleTitleEffect of simulated solar radiation on mixed outdoor atmospheric bacterial populations FEMS Microbiol. Ecol. 26 IssueID4 311–316

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. Raana Naidu

    Present address: Greenville Hospital System, 701 Grove Rd, Greenville, SC, 29605

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, 4600 Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami, FL, 33149, USA

    Joseph M. Prospero

  2. Faculty of Pure and Applied Sciences, University of the West Indies and Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Barbados, West Indies

    Edmund Blades

  3. Faculty of Pure and Applied Sciences, University of the West Indies, Barbados, West Indies

    George Mathison

  4. Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of the West Indies and Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Barbados, West Indies

    Raana Naidu

Authors
  1. Joseph M. Prospero
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Edmund Blades
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. George Mathison
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Raana Naidu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Joseph M. Prospero.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Prospero, J.M., Blades, E., Mathison, G. et al. Interhemispheric transport of viable fungi and bacteria from Africa to the Caribbean with soil dust. Aerobiologia 21, 1–19 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10453-004-5872-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10453-004-5872-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation