Endotoxins and β-glucans as markers of microbiological contamination--characteristics, detection, and environmental exposure.

Endotoxins and β-glucans are one of the major markers of microbiological contamination. As components of biological aerosols, they are ubiquitous in many environments. Numerous studies performed during the last three decades have proved that exposure to endotoxins and β-glucans could be associated with many diseases and/or adverse health outcomes. The aim of this review is to present the current stage of knowledge regarding endotoxins and β-glucans as biologically active components of aerosols and to characterize the quantitative methods for their detection in environmental samples. The problems of occupational exposure to both these components and their control procedures are also discussed. An overview of the available worldwide and Polish standards and threshold limit values is also given.