Aeolian dust exerts a notable influence on atmospheric and oceanic conditions and
human health, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions like Saudi Arabia. Dust is often
characterized by its mineral and chemical composition, but there is a microbiological component
of natural aerosols which has received comparatively little attention. Moreover, the amount of
materials suspended in the atmosphere is highly variable from day to day. Thus, knowing the
loads of dust and suspended microbes and its variability over the year is essential to understand
the possible effects of dust on the Red Sea ecosystem. Here, we present the first estimates of
dust and microbial loads at a coastal side on the Red Sea over a two-year period supplemented
with information from dust samples collected along the Red Sea in offshore water and their
variability. Weekly average dust loads ranged from 4.63 to 646.11 μg m-3, while the abundance
of airborne prokaryotic cells and viral particles ranged from 31,457 to 608,333 cells m-3 and from
69,615.5 to 3,104,758 particles m-3, respectively. These are the first estimates of airborne
microbial abundance that we are aware of in this region. The large number of dust particles and
suspended microbes found in the air indicates that airborne microbes may have a large impact
on our health and that of the Red Sea ecosystem.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:kaust.edu.sa/oai:repository.kaust.edu.sa:10754/628059 |
| Date | 07 1900 |
| Creators | Yahya, Razan |
| Contributors | Duarte, Carlos M., Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering (BESE) Division, Daffonchio, Daniele, Gojobori, Takashi |
| Source Sets | King Abdullah University of Science and Technology |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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