Summary:

Air analysis was carried out in selected vegetable storage rooms to assess the level of contamination by indicator microorganisms - general bacteria, fungi, staphylococci and actinomycetes. The air quality inside the storage facilities was compared with the external environment (control points near the storage facilities). The analysis also included the physical factor of air pollution, the PM2.5 and PM10 dust fractions. The tests were carried out over eight months: before the start of vegetable storage in the storage facilities, at the beginning, during and at the end of this period. It was planned to verify the existence of a relationship between the concentration of microorganisms and the other variables being determined. Due to the lack of applicable standards, the determined numbers of microorganisms were referred to the reference values from legal acts withdrawn in 2015. The results regarding dust concentration were compared with the applicable Regulation of the Minister of the Environment of 24 August 2012 and the air quality index of the Chief Inspectorate for Environmental Protection. As this study has shown, the environment of vegetable storage facilities is inhabited by potentially dangerous microorganisms, mainly mould fungi, and high dust levels, which raises doubts in the context of the safety of long-term stay in the facilities during agricultural work.