Objective. The aim of the study was to assess the impact of a fattening season on the level of airborne chemical and microbial pollutants in the pig fattening house. Materials and method. Evaluation of the air composition as well as the microbiological air quality were made during 2 series, i.e. in the summer and winter period of fattening. Airborne gaseous pollutants were analyzed by gas (organic compounds) and liquid (inorganic compounds) chromatography methods. Air microbial contamination was determined in compliance with the Polish Standard PN-EN 13098:2007. Results. The air/gas composition in the pig unit showed that irrespective of the fattening season, the level of determined pollutants -especially ammonia, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including methanethiol and total dust -could have an adverse effect on the health of swine facility workers. The investigated pig building was found to be a source of chemical pollutants as well as biological agents. The total bacterial count in 1 m 3 of air was 3.6×10 6 and 4.6×10 6 cfu, during the winter and summer periods of fattening, respectively. Gram-positive cocci predominated in both seasons. In the winter, fungi of the Trichoderma genus were represented equally often. In the summer period, up to 90% of the isolated fungus was Aspergillus spp. Conclusions. Workers engaged in swine rearing and production are occupationally exposed not only to a high concentration of microbial contamination, but also to irritating and odorogenous volatile compounds. Thus, activities directed at the promotion of health prevention strategies, as well as effective guidelines for safe and hygienic animal housing, should be implemented.

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Due to the development of civilization, people's needs and expectations increase. The global development of civilization, the desire of some countries to expand their borders and achieve a higher political, social and military influence, cause insecurity among the people. Security is one of the main factors for the proper functioning of individuals and whole societies. Currently, a major threat to people is terrorism. Especially dangerous is the use of biological weapons for this purpose, which significantly interferes with a sense of security and restricts the freedom of human activities. Currently, biological terrorism is a global threat associated with the use of weapons for political or religious reasons. The threat from radical religious fundamentalists is particularly dangerous. The most common biological threat agents are microorganisms causing zoonoses, i.e. diseases which can be transmitted from animals to humans. The most dangerous are Bacillus anthracis, Yersinia pestis and Francisella tularensis. They are characterized by high virulence, ease of spread and the possibility to obtain and use them at low cost. The aim of this paper is to characterize, based on the available literature, the most dangerous microorganisms which pose a potential threat to humans as biological warfare. The article also provides basic information on the diagnosis and treatment of diseases caused by pathogens which can be used in a bioterrorist attack.