1,300 Microbe Species Found In Beijing Smog

Tony Barboza from the Los Angeles Times, reports that a new study has detected traces of more than 1,300 species of microbes in some of Beijing's most polluted air. Most of the detected microbes were just harmless bacteria that are usually found in soil. But they were also some traces of some bacteria and  fungi that have been know to cause allergies and respiratory diseases. Some of these pathogens were found in higher proportions collected on the smoggiest days. Ting Zhu, a biologist at Tsinghua University in Beijing, says "the purpose of the study was to add to our understanding of the microbes we inhale every day." The researchers then took measurements during a five-day episode of severe smog in Beijing in January 2013. The analysis focused on particulate matter, which included tiny particles known as PM2.5 which could burrow deep into the lungs and cause respiratory problems such as "Beijing cough" as well as lung and heart illnesses and premature deaths. Scientists used filters to collect particulate matter in the air, then extracted and sequenced the DNA in the samples to identify 1,315 microbial species, mostly bacteria. They also detected fungi and viruses, though in small numbers. Norman Pace, a microbiologist at the University of Colorado Boulder, says "that the microbes were no health concern" also saying the smog itself was what was deadly. The author explains clearly what was found in Beijing smog and also explains how the researchers who were conducting this went about collecting air samples and discovering hundreds of microbe species. Nothing was unclear and the author remained unbiased.

Normal Beijing vs. Smog Covered Beijing