Airborne bacteria and fungi in coastal Ecuador: a correlation analysis with meteorological factors

Abstract

Air quality is of crucial significance for both ecosystem and human health. The aim of the research was to assess how meteorological conditions affected the aerobiological concentration in Chone, Manabí, Ecuador. For five days, sedimentation in Petri dishes was used to carry out sampling at nine different points. Temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, and UV index were among the meteorological data taken from the Catholic University of Chone meteorological station and included in the analysis. Following the hospital (point 6), the city market (point 4) had the highest concentration of bacteria, with 301 CFU/m³ in the morning and 441 CFU/m³ in the afternoon. With values of 0.541 and 0.56, respectively, wind speed and solar radiation showed the biggest fluctuation with bacteria concentrations. With the exception of a relative humidity value of 0.023, the park (point) had the highest abundance of mushrooms and no significant associations with meteorological variables. In summary, aerobiological concentrations showed a minor influence from meteorological factors while being below allowable bounds.