ABSTRACT
The kinds of organisms and their effluents that accumulate in indoor air, the diseases they cause, and factors that control their prevalence in residential environments are the subjects of this chapter. Many agents that cause hypersensitivity disease also can contaminate residential environments. It is important to note that reservoirs for most of the common bioaerosol components are ubiquitous, and investigations are usually directed toward interactions between amplifiers and disseminators. The outdoor air is the ultimate reservoir for many bioaerosols and for organisms that eventually contaminate indoor reservoirs. Bioaerosol components that have human reservoirs, amplifiers and disseminators include the influenza viruses, many types of common cold viruses, the "childhood" viruses and the bacterium that causes tuberculosis. Collecting a valid visual sample involves the development and use of a list of factors that are known to be indicative of biological contamination and bioaerosol production. Air cleaners have been recommended for removal of particulate bioaerosols from residential environments.
