Viegas, Carla2026-06-032026-06-032026-05Viegas C. Advances and practical lessons in fungal contamination exposure assessment: integrating field sampling and laboratory analyses. In: 15th Anniversary International Conference Mycotoxins and Moulds, Bydgoszcz (Poland), May 18-20, 2026.http://hdl.handle.net/10400.21/22910Authors gratefully acknowledge the FCT/MCTES national support through the UIDB/05608/2020 and UIDP/05608/2020, and for funding the project Tackling the Occupational Health Concerns in the Waste-sorting Industries (https://doi.org/10.54499/2023.17911.ICDT).The presence of microorganisms, and more specifically fungal contamination, may result from: 1) natural colonization of organic material present at the site; 2) intentional addition (e.g., in the food industry. Each collected sample is unique: its composition varies over time and space (in terms of species abundance and diversity). Assessing exposure to microbiological agents (including fungi) is a challenging task. Exposure can be estimated using a variety of sampling methods; however, each is unique and requires a specific methodology. Sampling is done to verify and quantify the presence of microorganisms in the air or contamination of materials, to identify sources of contamination, to monitor the effectiveness of implemented control measures, and to assess human exposure. Exposure assessment of microorganisms can be carried out using qualitative or quantitative methods, or a combination of both. Qualitative assessment includes visual and olfactory observations resulting from damage in indoor environments, such as damage caused by water infiltration.engOccupational healthContamination exposureFungal contaminationFCT_UIDP/05608/2020FCT_UIDB/05608/2020conference paper