A light rain can spread soil bacteria far and wide, study finds

Tuesday, March 7, 2017 - 11:31 in Astronomy & Space

A good rain can have a cleansing effect on the land. But an MIT study published today in Nature Communications reports that, under just the right conditions, rain can also be a means of spreading bacteria. Using high-resolution imaging, researchers from MIT’s Department of Mechanical Engineering observed the effect of raindrops falling on dry soil laden with bacteria. When falling at speeds mimicking those of a light rain, at temperatures similar to those in tropical regions, the drops released a spray of mist, or aerosols. Each aerosol carried up to several thousand bacteria from the soil. The researchers found the bacteria remained alive for more than an hour afterward. If this airborne bacteria were lofted further by wind, it could travel a good distance before settling back on the ground to colonize a new location, says Cullen Buie, associate professor and the Esther and Harold E. Edergton Career Development Chair in the...

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