BACTERIA FOUND IN THE AIR OVER CANADA AND THE AMERICAN ARCTIC

Abstract

The bacteria isolated from the air in a series of aeroplane flights, over Canada, Alaska, and the Arctic Ocean, are discussed. All bacteria are forms commonly found in the soil and include species of Flavobacterium, Achromobacterium, Pseudomonas, Corynebacterium, Micrococcus, Sarcina, and Bacillus. An attempt is made to correlate the types of organisms found with the air masses. Air that had received no recontamination for some time tended to show death of organisms in a certain order. The first to be reduced in numbers were the Gram-negative rods, then the Gram-positive rods, followed by the micrococci, and finally the sporeformers.