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Table 3 Microorganism species predominant in the examined buildings

From: Assessment of biological colonization of historic buildings in the former Auschwitz II-Birkenau concentration camp

Type of building

Surface

Organism type

Predominant species

Brick barracks

inside barracks1

bacteria

Bacillus cereus, Bacillus atrophaeus, Bacillus gibsonii, Bacillus mycoides, Sporosarcina aquimarina, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Micrococcus luteus, Streptomyces sp.

moulds

Acremonium sp., Cladosporium cladosporioides, Cladosporium herbarum, Alternaria alternata, Humicola fuscoatra, Humicola grisea, Penicillium citreonigrum, Chaetomium globosum

cyanobacteria

Scytonema drilosiphon, Chroococcus minor, Chroococcus varius, Gloeothece palea, Leptolyngbya sp.

algae

Diadesmis contenta, Chlorella sp.

lichens

Lecanora cf. dispersa, Lecanora cf. albescens

mosses

Bryum argenteum, Marchantia polymorpha, Plagiothecium curvifolium, Tortula muralis

outside barracks2

cyanobacteria

Leptolyngbya sp., Phormidium breve

algae

Diadesmis contenta, Apatococcus lobatus

lichens

Aspicilia contorta, Candelariella aurella, Caloplaca citrina, Caloplaca decipiens, Lecanora cf. albescens, Lecanora cf. dispersa, Lecidea stigmatea, Lepraria cf. incana, Physcia caesia, Protoblastenia rupestris, Protoparmeliopsis muralis var. muralis, Sarcogyne regularis, Verrucaria muralis, Verrucaria cf. nigrescens

mosses

Amblystegium serpens, Atrichum undulatum, Bryum argenteum, Ceratodon purpureus, Climacium dendroides, Hypnum cupressiforme var. lacunosum, Marchantia polymorpha, Niphotrichum canescens, Orthotrichum diaphanum, Orthotrichum anomalum, Oxyrrhynchium hians, Plagiothecium curvifolium, Rhynchostegium murale, Schistidium apocarpum, Tortula muralis

Wooden barracks

inside barracks3

bacteria

Staphylococcus equorum, Bacillus atrophaeus, Bacillus cereus, Bacillus mycoides, Streptomyces sp.

moulds

Aspergillus fumigatus, Cladosporium cladosporioides, Cladosporium herbarum, Alternaria alternata, Humicola fuscoatra, Penicillium citrinum

cyanobacteria

Chroococcus varius, Gloeothece palea, Leptolyngbya sp.

algae

Diadesmis contenta, Apatococcus lobatus, Chlorella sp.

lichens

not detected

mosses

not detected

outside barracks 4

cyanobacteria

Chroococcus minor, Chroococcus varius, Gloeocapsa sp.

algae

Apatococcus lobatus

lichens

Lecanora conizaeoides, Lecanora symmicta, Lepraria cf. incana, Strangospora pinicola

mosses

not detected

  1. 1. Surfaces inside brick barracks: load-bearing wall, partition wall, ceiling, floor, bunk bed, door frame
  2. 2. Surfaces outside brick barracks: load-bearing wall, door, roof, strip around the building
  3. 3. Surfaces inside wooden barracks: load-bearing wall, partition wall, foundation, beam, bunk bed, stove
  4. 4. Surfaces outside wooden barracks: door, strip around the building, foundation