1. Wstęp. 2. Charakterystyka kompleksu Riese. 3. Metody używane do oceny jakości mikrobiologicznej powietrza. 4. Czynniki środowiskowe wpływające na liczebność grzybów w obiektach podziemnych. 5. Grzyby występujące w powietrzu wybranych obiektów kompleksu Riese. 6. Potencjalny szkodliwy wpływ grzybów wyizolowanych z powietrza wybranych obiektów kompleksu Riese na zdrowie ludzi. 7. Podsumowanie

Abstract: The term „speleomycology” was first introduced by Polish scientists in 2014 and it is now used to describe all kinds of investigations which aim at the recognition of cave and underground mycobiota. Microbiological quality of air is estimated by using microscopic or culture methods. In the underground objects, the culture method with a microbiological air sampler (collision technique) is commonly used. Most fungi can be found underground as spores, which entered the objects transported by air or water currents, by animals living in the caves (e.g. bats, arthropods) or by humans visiting the objects. However, the environment surrounding the underground objects and the air currents seem to have the most significant influence on fungi concentrations inside the objects. Riese complex was built between 1943–1945 in the Sowie Mts. (Lower Silesia, SW Poland), but its purpose still remains unclear. Fungi isolated from the air of the studied objects (i.e. Osówka, Rzeczka, Włodarz) can cause allergies and infections in humans. However, fungal spore concentration and number of species in Riese complex do not exceed norms of microbiological quality of air and, thus, do not present a health risk to the tourists.

1. Introduction. 2. Characteristics of the Riese complex. 3. Methods used for assessing the microbiological quality of air. 4. Environmental factors affecting the number of fungi in underground objects. 5. Airborne fungi occurring in the selected objects of underground Riese complex. 6. The potential harmful effect of airborne fungi isolated from the selected objects of Riese complex on human health. 7. Summary