Bacterial Contamination of the Air

Bacterial contamination of the air plays an important role in maintaining the health of people and animals. It is an indicator of air cleanliness and can be used to assess the quality of indoor living conditions. In this article, we will look at what bacterial contamination is, how it is measured, and what consequences can arise from elevated levels.

Bacterial contamination is the number of bacteria present in a certain volume of air. It is measured in microorganisms per square meter (CFU/m2) and is expressed as a number. The higher the level of bacterial contamination, the greater the likelihood of developing respiratory diseases such as asthma, bronchitis and pneumonia.

Measurement of bacterial contamination of the air can be carried out using special devices - bacteriological analyzers. They allow you to determine the number of microorganisms in the air, as well as their type and degree of danger to human health.

Increased levels of bacterial contamination can have serious consequences for human and animal health. Microorganisms present in the air can cause various diseases such as pneumonia, asthma and other respiratory diseases. They can also cause allergic reactions and other health problems.

To reduce the level of bacterial contamination, it is necessary to regularly clean premises, use air purifiers and monitor the quality of ventilation. It is also important to keep your hands clean and not touch your face with dirty hands to avoid spreading bacteria.

In general, bacterial contamination is an important indicator of air quality and must be controlled to maintain the health of people and animals.



Bacterial contamination of air is called a hygienic indicator (in microbiology), characterizing the number of bacteria per 1 m³ of room volume. This indicator is used to monitor sanitary standards of the sanitary environmental situation in premises and take measures to improve it.

The developed standards correspond to the sum of microorganisms recorded in 1 cubic meter of air from a ventilation exhaust or window crack. In this case, the number of microorganisms of the general plan is considered, and not of any specific group.

In residential and industrial premises the indicator is in the range of 40 – 135 thousand cells per 1 cubic meter, which corresponds to air exchange standards.