Colson Aaron J, Vredenburgh Larry, Guevara Ramon E, Rangel Natalia P, Kloock Carl T, Lauer Antje
Department of Biology, California State University Bakersfield (CSUB), 9001 Stockdale Highway, Bakersfield, CA, 93311-1022, USA.
Bureau of Land Management, Bakersfield Field Office, 3801 Pegasus Drive, Bakersfield, CA, 93308, USA.
Mycopathologia. 2017 Jun;182(5-6):439-458. doi: 10.1007/s11046-016-0105-5. Epub 2017 Jan 13.
Ongoing large-scale land development for renewable energy projects in the Antelope Valley, located in the Western Mojave Desert, has been blamed for increased fugitive dust emissions and coccidioidomycosis incidence among the general public in recent years. Soil samples were collected at six sites that were destined for solar farm construction and were analyzed for the presence of the soil-borne fungal pathogen Coccidioides immitis which is endemic to many areas of central and southern California. We used a modified culture-independent nested PCR approach to identify the pathogen in all soil samples and also compared the sampling sites in regard to soil physical and chemical parameters, degree of disturbance, and vegetation. Our results indicated the presence of C. immitis at four of the six sites, predominantly in non-disturbed soils of the Pond-Oban complex, which are characterized by an elevated pH and salt bush communities, but also in grassland characterized by different soil parameters and covered with native and non-native annuals. Overall, we were able to detect the pathogen in 40% of the soil samples (n = 42). Incidence of coccidioidomycosis in the Antelope Valley was positively correlated with land use and particulate matter in the air (PM10) (Pearson correlation coefficient >0.5). With the predicted population growth and ongoing large-scale disturbance of soil in the Antelope Valley in coming years, incidence of coccidioidomycosis will likely further increase if policy makers and land developers continue to ignore the risk of grading land without implementing long-term dust mitigation plans in Environmental Impact Reports.
位于莫哈韦沙漠西部的羚羊谷正在进行大规模的可再生能源项目土地开发，近年来，这被指责导致了扬尘排放增加以及普通民众球孢子菌病发病率上升。在六个预定用于太阳能农场建设的地点采集了土壤样本，并分析了土壤传播的真菌病原体球孢子菌的存在情况，这种病原体在加利福尼亚中部和南部的许多地区都有地方性流行。我们使用了一种改良的非培养巢式PCR方法来鉴定所有土壤样本中的病原体，并比较了采样地点的土壤物理和化学参数、干扰程度和植被情况。我们的结果表明，六个地点中有四个存在球孢子菌，主要存在于庞德 - 奥班复合体未受干扰的土壤中，这些土壤的特点是pH值升高且有盐生灌木群落，但也存在于具有不同土壤参数且覆盖着本地和非本地一年生植物的草地中。总体而言，我们在40%的土壤样本（n = 42）中检测到了病原体。羚羊谷球孢子菌病的发病率与土地利用和空气中的颗粒物（PM10）呈正相关（皮尔逊相关系数>0.5）。随着未来几年羚羊谷预计的人口增长以及持续的大规模土壤扰动，如果政策制定者和土地开发商继续忽视在环境影响报告中不实施长期扬尘缓解计划而进行土地平整的风险，球孢子菌病的发病率可能会进一步上升。
