ABSTRACT
On account of unique water properties, humidity influences greatly both living organisms, including human and materials. This chapter considers the features of this influence. In particular, the effect of humidity on climate comfort, activities of microorganisms, human health, and material properties is analyzed. Humidity effects on industries such as automobile industry, semiconductor (electronic) industry, the pharmaceutical industry, production of lithium batteries, the food industry, agriculture, paper and printing industry, and textile industry are also discussed in this chapter. Great attention is also paid to the influence of humidity on the safety of various materials in the process of long-term storage in libraries, museums, and warehouses of various products. Humidity directly impacts also the safety of many industrial and manufacturing processes. It is shown that humidity measurements at the Earth’s surface are also required for meteorological analysis and forecasting, for climate studies, and for many special applications in hydrology, aeronautical services, and environmental studies, because water vapor is a key agent in both weather and climate.
