Sick Building Syndrome

Sick Building Syndrome is a general category for a number of ailments, allergies, and complaints, all due to some physical aspect of a building, usually related to the ventilation system. The existence of low levels of pollutants, synthetic irritants, fungi or other microorganisms, or simply a lack of adequate fresh air, are sufficient factors to cause reactions in a percentage of building occupants. Sometimes extremely low levels of several different pollutants or irritants is sufficient to incapacitate certain sensitive individuals.

The diversity of both causes and effects of Sick Building Syndrome have led some to claim its nonexistence, but the problem continues to occur. The symptoms may be different for different people and can vary considerably in degree, but this shouldn't be too surprising considering the genetic diversity of the human race and the incredible array of potential contaminants humans encounter daily. Sick Building Syndrome exists even if it defies specific diagnosis.

Often, the only common denominator of Sick Building Syndrome is insufficient ventilation air to remove the contaminants. Sometimes the source of the problem is microbial growth inside wet ductwork or other air-handling equipment. The solution here is to clean the ductwork and equipment with a strong disinfectant and adjust the system to better control humidity. If the microbial growth is suspected but not observed, cell culturing should be performed on the supply air to first determine the existence of microorganisms before disassembling any suspected components.

In some new buildings the problem can be the use of synthetic materials (such as insulation or carpeting) which release hydrocarbons or other vapors into the air at a very low rate. The solution in this case may be to remove the offending material and replace it with an acceptably innocuous alternative.

In rare instances the outside air intakes may draw in foul air from waste storage or processing areas, or from parking areas heavily laden with auto exhaust. These cases represent bad ventilation system design and the solutions are case-dependent.

Components that can improve the problem include HEPA filters (for dust and bioaerosols), carbon adsorbers (for gases) and electrostatic precipitators (for dust and bioaerosols). Boosting outside airflow can be an effective solution, but can be costly in summer and winter.

Bibliography

  1. Zamm, A.V. and R. Gannon. 1980. Why Your House May Endanger Your Health. New York, Simon and Schuster.
  2. Burge, P.S., A. Hedge, S.Wilson, J.H.Bass and A. Robertson. 1987. Sick building syndrome : A study of 4373 office workers. Ann. Occ. Hyg. 31:493-504
  3. Kriess, K. 1989. The epidemiology of building-related complaints and illness. Occup. Med. 4:575-592.
  4. Norback, D., I.Michel and J. Widstrom. 1990. Indoor air quality and personal factors related to sick building syndrome. Scand. J. Work Environ. Health 16:121-128.
  5. Berglund, B., T.Lindvall and J.Sundell. 1984. Indoor Air, Vol.3, Sensory and Hyperreactivity Reactions to Sick Buildings. Stockholm: Swedish Council for Building Research.
  6. ASHRAE, IAQ 93 : Operating and Maintaining Buildings for Health, Comfort and Productivity
  7. ASHRAE, IAQ 94 : Engineering Indoor Environments
  8. Godish, T. (1995). Sick Buildings : Definition, Diagnosis and Mitigation. Boca Raton, Lewis Publishers.
  9. Lundin, L. (1991). On Building-related Causes of the Sick Building Syndrome. Stockholm, Almqvist & Wiksell Intl.