New Jersey Southern Assessing Airborne Bacteria Abundance in Sea Foam Aerosol

Overview

Foams, a natural phenomenon along aquatic shores, are produced by the agitation of particles in water. Foams can accommodate many types of microorganisms, and past research shows they can transfer harmful algal toxins into the atmosphere. The objective of this study was to observe the ability of foams to transmit residing bacterial microorganisms to aerosols. Study sites included five Barnegat Bay and Atlantic Ocean beaches along coastal New Jersey. Bacterial com position and concentrations in foams, foam aerosols, residing waters, and coastal air samples were analyzed. Water and foam samples were collected in sterile Whirl-Pak bags, swabbed, and transferred to a Luria Broth agar medium. To quantify bacteria in foam aerosols and coastal air samples, petri dishes were passively cultured by exposing them to volatilizing foams and atmospheric conditions. The results of this study found that foams had significantly higher bacterial concentrations compared to their count erpart waters, atmospheres, and aerosols (p<0.01). A positive relationship between bacteria in foams and their aerosols was also found; as bacterial concentrations of foams increased, bacteria in their resulting aerosols also increased (R 2=0.5996). The findings of this research unearth potential threats to the safety of coastal areas; foams and their aerosols can introduce many health risks to not just swimmers, but also to surrounding coastal communities and beachgoers through the transmission of airborne bacteria.

Competition history

• JSHS 2024 Category not listed

Resources

• National JSHS abstract book ↗

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