The effects of indoor and outdoor dust exposure on the growth, sensitivity to oxidative-stress, and biofilm production of three opportunistic bacterial pathogens

•indoor-dust enhanced bacterial growth in nutrient-poor medium•indoor dust slowed bacterial growth in nutrient-rich medium•exposure to dust significantly reduced E. coli's oxidative stress resistance•dust exposure increased biofilm production in all 3 species•dust exposure influences bacterial growth, oxidative stress resistance, and virulence potential

Within the last decade, many studies have highlighted the radical changes in the components of indoor and outdoor dust. For example, agents like automobile emitted platinum group elements and different kinds of organic phthalates and esters have been reported to be accumulating in the biosphere. Humans consistently face dermal, respiratory, and dietary exposures to these particles while indoors and outdoors. In fact, dust particulate matter has been associated with close to 500,000 deaths per year in Europe and about 200,000 deaths per year in the United States. To date, there has been limited examination of the physiological impact of indoor and outdoor dust exposure on normal flora microbes. In this study, the effect of indoor- and outdoor-dust exposure on three opportunistic bacterial species (Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) was assessed. Specifically, bacterial growth, oxidative stress resistance, and biofilm production were measured following indoor- and outdoor-dust exposures. Studies were conducted in nutritionally-rich and -poor environments typically encountered by bacteria. Surprisingly, indoor-dust (200 μg/mL), enhanced the growth of all three bacterial species in nutrient-poor conditions, but slowed growth in nutrient-rich conditions. In nutrient-rich medium, 100 μg/mL exposure of either indoor- or outdoor-dust resulted in significantly reduced oxidative stress resistance in E. coli. Most interestingly, dust (indoor and outdoor), either in nutrient-rich or -poor conditions, significantly increased biofilm production in all three bacterial species. These data suggest that indoor and outdoor dust, can modify opportunistic bacteria through altering growth, sensitivity to oxidative stress, and their virulence potential through enhanced biofilm formation.

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