Air quality in the era of climate change: Bioaerosols, multi-exposures, and the emerging threats of respiratory allergies and infectious diseases

Abstract

With the rising global burden of allergies and asthma, bioaerosols have gained the attention of physicians and researchers over the past decades. However, bioaerosols still remain underestimated, excluded from EU Directives. This work points out that respiratory diseases, an emerging human health risk, may be predicted and appropriately managed only if the entirety of co- and multi-exposures, biogenic as well as mixed (chemical-biological) is considered, especially for vulnerable population groups. Here we present an overview of the state of the art in bioaerosol research and its challenges, and pinpoint unmet research and policy needs in a rapidly changing world.