What Is Sick Building Syndrome?

Sick building syndrome (SBS) is a situation in which occupants of a building experience acute health effects that seem to be linked to time spent in a building, but no specific illness or cause can be identified.  The complaints may be localized in a particular room or zone, or may be widespread throughout the building.

What Are the Symptoms of SBS?

Building occupants complain of symptoms associated with acute discomfort.  These symptoms include headaches; eye, nose, and throat irritation; a dry cough; dry or itchy skin; dizziness and nausea; difficulty in concentrating; fatigue; and sensitivity to odors.  With SBS, no clinically defined disease or specific chemical or biological contaminant can be determined as the cause of the symptoms.  Most of the complainants feel relief soon after leaving the building.  SBS reduces worker productivity and may also increase absenteeism.

What Causes SBS?

While specific causes of SBS remain unknown, the following have been cited as contributing factors to sick building syndrome.  These elements may act in combination or may supplement other complaints such as inadequate temperature, humidity, or lighting.

Chemical contaminants from outdoor sources: Outdoor air that enters a building can also be a source of indoor pollution.  Pollutants from motor vehicle exhausts, plumbing vents, and building exhausts (bathrooms and kitchens) can enter the building through poorly located air intake vents, windows, and other openings.  Combustion byproducts can also enter a building from a nearby garage.

Chemical contaminants from indoor sources: Most indoor air pollution comes from sources inside the building.  For example, adhesives, upholstery, carpeting, copy machines, manufactured wood products, cleaning agents, and pesticides may emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) including formaldehyde.  Research shows that some VOCs can cause chronic and acute health effects at high concentrations, and some are known carcinogens.  Low to moderate levels of multiple VOCs may also produce acute reactions in some individuals.  Environmental tobacco smoke and combustion products from stoves, fireplaces, and unvented space heaters all can put chemical contaminants into the air.

Biological contaminants: Biological contaminants include pollen, bacteria, viruses, and molds.  These contaminants can breed in stagnant water that has accumulated in humidifiers, drain pans, and ducts, or where water has collected on ceiling tiles, insulation, or carpet.  Biological contaminants can cause fever, chills, cough, chest tightness, muscle aches, and allergic reactions.  One indoor air bacterium, Legionella, has caused both Pontiac Fever and Legionnaire’s Disease.

Inadequate ventilation: In the 1970s the oil embargo led building designers to make buildings more airtight, with less outdoor air ventilation, in order to improve energy efficiency.  These reduced ventilation rates have been found to be, in many cases, inadequate to maintain the health and comfort of building occupants.

What Are the Solutions to Sick Building Syndrome?

Solutions to SBS problems usually include combinations of the following measures:

• Increasing ventilation rates and air distribution is often a cost-effective means of reducing indoor pollutant levels.

• Removal or modification of the pollutant source is the most effective approach to solving an indoor air quality problem when the source is known and the solution is practical.

• Air cleaning has some limitations, but it can be a useful addition to source control and ventilation.  Air filters are only effective at removing some, not all, of the pollution.

• Education and communication are important parts of any air quality management program.

The Latest Facts You Should Know

Indoor air quality: has become a hot topic among health-oriented groups and agencies.  Organizations like the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the American Lung Association, the World Health Organization, and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute have adopted or are adopting IAQ policies.  According to the EPA website, “the EPA and its Science Advisory Board have consistently ranked indoor air pollution among the top five environmental risks to public health.”  EPA statistics show levels of many airborne pollutants may be two to five – to even 100 times – higher indoors than outdoors, a noteworthy fact since most Americans spend 90 percent of their time inside.

According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, 50 percent of all illnesses are caused by or aggravated by polluted indoor air.  U.S. Department of Energy studies suggest that improving building environments would reduce health care costs and sick leave while increasing worker performance for a productivity gain of $30 to $150 billion annually.

Mold

Molds produce tiny spores to reproduce.  Mold spores waft through the indoor and outdoor air continually.  When mold spores land on a damp spot indoors, they may begin growing and digesting whatever they are growing on in order to survive.  There are molds that can grow on wood, paper, carpet, and foods.  When excessive moisture or water accumulates indoors, mold growth will often occur, particularly if the moisture problem remains undiscovered or unaddressed.  There is no practical way to eliminate all molds and mold spores in the indoor environment; the way to control indoor mold growth is to control moisture.

Ten things you should know about mold:

• Potential health effects and symptoms associated with mold exposures include allergic reactions, asthma, and other respiratory complaints.

• There is no practical way to eliminate all molds and mold spores in the indoor environment; the way to control indoor mold growth is to control moisture.

• If mold is a problem in your home or school, you must clean up the mold and eliminate sources of moisture.

• Fix the source of the water problem or leak to prevent mold growth.

• Reduce indoor humidity (to 30-60% ) to decrease mold growth by: venting bathrooms, dryers, and other moisture-generating sources to the outside; using air conditioners and de-humidifiers; increasing ventilation; and using exhaust fans whenever cooking, dish washing, and cleaning.

• Clean and dry any damp or wet building materials and furnishings within 24-48 hours to prevent mold growth.

• Clean mold off hard surfaces with water and detergent, and dry completely. Absorbent materials that are moldy, such as ceiling tiles, may need to be replaced.

• Prevent condensation: Reduce the potential for condensation on cold surfaces (i.e., windows, piping, exterior walls, roof, or floors) by adding insulation.

• In areas where there is a perpetual moisture problem, do not install carpeting (i.e., by drinking fountains, by classroom sinks, or on concrete floors with leaks or frequent condensation).

• Molds can be found almost anywhere; they can grow on virtually any substance, provided that moisture is present.  There are molds that can grow on wood, paper, carpet, and foods.

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