In a new study, a team of researchers discovered an abundance of methylobacteria in fog droplets. But don’t be afraid: these microscopic “monsters” are here to help.
In the film (O Nevoeiro), from 2007, based on a novel by Stephen Kinga mysterious fog descends on a small North American town, bringing with itoda species of monsters worthy of HP Lovecraft.
In the film directed by Frank Darabont, while residents seek shelter in a local supermarket, a panicked man runs towards them shouting: “There’s something in the fog!”, remembers.
Well, according to a new one from Arizona State University, recently published in mBio, There is indeed something in the fog — and it is alive.
Scientists have long known that microorganisms like fungi, bacteria and algae inhabit clouds and even float around us, but the eventual existence of a aerobiome hidden in the fog remained an unknown.
“There is very little knowledge about what types of bacteria are present in fog, which are like clouds at ground level”, stated at ASU the first author of the study, Thi Thuong Thuong Cao.
To investigate, Thuong Cao and his team traveled to rural areas in the Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania region, where they collected dry air samples and installed collectors to capture radiation fogwhich forms when the soil cools.
The analysis revealed that about 1% of fog droplets contained bacteria. Although this may seem small, the total volume of fog makes this value correspond to a considerable abundance of life.
“When you put all the droplets together, the concentration of bacteria is the same as what exists in the ocean”, explained the study co-author Garcia-Pichel.
But, after all, what lives in the fog?
The study authors discovered a abundance of methylobacteria in the fog droplets.
Normally present in the soil and on the surface of plants, bacteria of this genus can degrade organic compounds simplest, which have only one carbon atom — including formaldehyde, which is toxic.
Samples collected before and after the fog formed showed an increase in their numbers, but these microorganisms are more than just occasional passengers: closer observation under a microscope revealed that they were thriving and dividing in the fog.
“We looked at them under the microscope and discovered that, yes, the bacteria are increase in size and divideso there is growth,” said Cao. “We also discovered that they are using formaldehyde as food to support that growth.”
Formaldehyde is a common air pollutantwhich contributes to the formation of tropospheric ozone and respiratory diseases. In high concentrations, it is also toxic to the bacteria that feed on it, and the team found that methylobacteria break it down into CO₂ to keep levels low.
The bacteria in the fog are actually helping to clean the air. That’s why, don’t be afraid of fog monsters: are here to help. Unlike the creatures in Stephen King’s novel…
