The last sampling campaign of PM10 has been concluded in Rome by IRET researchers, Claudia Mattioni, Paola Pollegioni, Martina Ristorini and Olga Gavrichkova. The aim of the sampling is to analyze how amount and chemical composition of PM10 is linked to the diversity and activity of microbiome (bacteria and fungi) present in the air, inhabiting leaf surfaces and dust from the roadside. Pollution gradient was accomplished by including in the study zones located closed to the heavily traffic road, residential area with limited traffic and an urban park. To cover the annual variation, other 3 samplings were performed in autumn, winter and spring.
The project involves three big cities located from sub-arctic to Mediterranean and is executed in straight collaboration with RUDN university (Russia), ARPA Lazio and La Sapienza University with the financial support from Russian Foundation for Basic Research.
The first “city” microbiome biodiversity data will be present in the upcoming conference on Biodiversity in September.