The path of Aerobiology through 40 years of Congresses of the International Association for Aerobiology

The International Biological Program (IBP), active from 1964 to 1974, was the forerunner of the International Association for Aerobiology, which was founded in 1974 under the auspices of the International Union of Biological Sciences. Since that time, the Association's activities were carried out through eleven quadrennial Congresses and many International Courses of Basic Aerobiology and Advanced Aerobiology who also gave impulse to the creation of national networks monitoring of airborne biological matter. The main aim of the Congress was to enable inter-disciplinary communication and to provide opportunities to the delegates for discussion about the different aspects of the aerobiology. The newborn IAA, had to face the first goal of highlighting the importance of the aerobiological measurements needed to accomplish the characterization of air quality, as well as the physical and chemical measurements of air environment. The 1st IAA Congress in Munich, August 1978, launched several initiatives, primarily the constitution of national associations. In October 1978, the IAA opened a succession of Associate Societies starting with the Nordic Aerobiological Federation. Aerobiology has also gained importance in the area of educational field. University courses are now available alongside courses run by groups and associations. In addition, the aerobiology of open and enclosed spaces is increasingly in demand by environmental organizations. Much remains to be done to widen our knowledge of aerobiology and its fields of application, but we now share a common reference point thanks to the activity of the International Association for Aerobiology.