ABSTRACT
Buildings are constantly exposed to colonisation by microorganisms, and these are almost always present in the indoor air (except for specially designated clean rooms, such as aseptic production zones in the pharmaceutical industry). If microbiological agents (e.g. viruses, bacteria, fungi) are present in low concentrations and there are no pathogenic organisms among them, they pose no risk to humans. The problem of contamination occurs when the level of microbiological contamination increases above a certain limit that is considered ‘normal’ (natural) for a given environment. Microbiological contamination of indoor spaces can be caused by workers, animals, plants, structural elements and building equipment, ventilation/air-conditioning systems, industrial activities in the building and outdoor air. This chapter presents examples of microbiological air pollution and bio-corrosion of materials, machines, installations affecting indoor air quality in various buildings, from residential premises to public buildings (offices, libraries, museums, hospitals), to various industrial facilities (in agriculture, sewage treatment plants, landfills and the metal industry).
