Papers by Elena Innocente
Potentially Harmful Elements in the Atmosphere
PHEs, Environment and Human Health, 2014
Temporal variability and effect of environmental variables on airborne bacterial communities in an urban area of Northern Italy
Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 2012
Despite airborne microorganisms representing a relevant fraction of atmospheric suspended particl... more Despite airborne microorganisms representing a relevant fraction of atmospheric suspended particles, only a small amount of information is currently available on their abundance and diversity and very few studies have investigated the environmental factors influencing the structure of airborne bacterial communities. In this work, we used quantitative PCR and Illumina technology to provide a thorough description of airborne bacterial communities in the urban area of Milan (Italy). Forty samples were collected in 10-day sampling sessions, with one session per season. The mean bacterial abundance was about 10⁴ ribosomal operons per m³ of air and was lower in winter than in the other seasons. Communities were dominated by Actinobacteridae, Clostridiales, Sphingobacteriales and few proteobacterial orders (Burkholderiales, Rhizobiales, Sphingomonadales and Pseudomonadales). Chloroplasts were abundant in all samples. A higher abundance of Actinobacteridae, which are typical soil-inhabiting bacteria, and a lower abundance of chloroplasts in samples collected on cold days were observed. The variation in community composition observed within seasons was comparable to that observed between seasons, thus suggesting that airborne bacterial communities show large temporal variability, even between consecutive days. The structure of airborne bacterial communities therefore suggests that soil and plants are the sources which contribute most to the airborne communities of Milan atmosphere, but the structure of the bacterial community seems to depend mainly on the source of bacteria that predominates in a given period of time.
Journal of Aerosol Science, 2012
All over Europe, low wind speeds and stable atmospheric stratification are meteorological factors... more All over Europe, low wind speeds and stable atmospheric stratification are meteorological factors leading to air pollution episodes. Discriminating the contribution of the local atmospheric circulation and the regional and long-range transport processes, in determining PM 2.5 and pollutants levels, is very important for deciding any effective abatement measure. This is particularly true in the Northeastern part of the Po Valley, one of the most polluted areas in Europe.
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Papers by Elena Innocente