ABSTRACT
Indoor bioaerosol particles comprise respiratory pathogens, contaminated skin squames, dust mite fragments/faeces, fungal spores, hyphae and products, etc. Residential environments may present more serious risk through infection and allergy than those of lower bioaerosol concentration as occur outdoors. Bioaerosol hazards to man primarily arise from exposure to high concentrations or to unfamiliar forms, and comprise respiratory distress, microbial infection, allergenic reaction, respiratory sensitization, and toxicological reaction. Changing patterns of work and leisure have raised risks, while outdoors air pollution levels generally are increasing. Microbial bioaerosols present additional special difficulties because of potential conflicts between their efficient sampling as particles and as viable entities. Clearly, no single sampler/sampling protocol is likely to be adequate for all bioaerosols in their diverse environments. The main objectives of the "Bioaerosols Handbook" are to provide up-to-date detailed descriptions, comparisons and calibration methods for bioaerosol samplers with appropriate sampling methodologies and analytical procedures.
