The Role of Biodeterioration In Agriculture, Forestry, Agronomy, Cultural Properties, Economics, And Public Health

Biodeterioration is often a misnomer, in that we tend to use biodegradation, deterioration, degradation, pollution, decay and other terms as synonyms. As authors and editors of this proceedings we are also guilty of a very “loose” application of the definition. For example, numerous examples of health-related issues have crept into this editon via papers relevant to the reduced quality of human food, animal feed, parasites, water quality, air quality, and diseases in general. But the mainstays of biodeterioration are also present and they support the basic definition as follows: Biodeterioration is an undesirable change caused by microorganisms. Generally fungi and bacteria are prime deteriogens, but other organisms such as plants, invertebrates, birds, and rodents are often “legally” included. Not to be confused but often excluded by the “purist”, is biodegradation. The latter is often considered as a planned, controlled, and purposeful breakdown or alteration due to organisms. There is no doubt that this text continues to apply a very broad and multidisciplinary interpretation to biodeterioration.