Sick building syndrome ( SBS ) is a medical condition where people in the building suffer from symptoms of illness or feel unwell for no apparent reason. The symptoms tend to get worse with the time people spend in the building, and increase over time or even disappear when people are away from the building. The main identification observations are increased incidence of symptom complaints such as headache, eyes, nose, and throat irritation, fatigue, and dizziness and nausea. These symptoms seem to be related to time spent in the building, although no disease or specific causes can be identified. SBS is also used interchangeably with "building-related symptoms", which direct the name of the condition around the patient rather than the "sick" building. The 1984 World Health Organization (WHO) report suggests that up to 30% of new and renovated buildings around the world may be subject to complaints related to poor indoor air quality.
The causes of ill buildings are often pinned to flaws in heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems (HVAC). However, there are inconsistent findings about whether air conditioning systems produce SBS or not. Other causes have been linked to contaminants produced by outgassing of several types of building materials, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), fungi (see fungal health problems), improper ozone exhaust ventilation (by-products of some office machines), chemicals light industry used in, or lack of adequate air/air filtering (see minimum efficiency reporting values).
Video Sick building syndrome
Signs and symptoms
Human exposure to bioaerosol has been documented to induce various adverse health effects. The occupants complain of symptoms such as irritation of the eyes, nose, or throat; neurotoxic or general health problems; skin irritation; nonspecific hypersensitivity reactions; infectious diseases; and smell and taste sensation. Exposure to poor lighting conditions has caused a general malaise.
Extrinsic allergic alveolitis has been linked to the presence of fungi and bacteria in the humid air of residential homes and commercial offices. A very large study by 2017 in Sweden correlates with several respiratory inflammatory diseases with objective evidence of damage caused by moisture at home.
WHO has classified symptoms reported into broad categories, including: mucous membrane irritation (eyes, nose, and throat irritation), neurotoxic effects (headache, fatigue, and irritability), asthma and symptoms such as asthma (chest tightness and wheeze) dry skin and irritation, gastrointestinal complaints and more.
Some sick residents may report individual symptoms that do not appear to be connected. The key to the discovery is the increased incidence of disease in general with onset or exacerbation in the near term - usually within a few weeks. In most cases, SBS symptoms will be relieved as soon as the occupants leave a certain room or zone. However, there is a lingering effect of various neurotoxins, which may not be lost when occupants leave the building. In some cases - especially in sensitive individuals - there can be long-term health effects.
Maps Sick building syndrome
Cause
It has been suggested that sick building syndrome can be caused by inadequate ventilation, worsening of fiberglass ducts, chemical contaminants from indoor or outdoor sources, and biological contaminants, recycled air using fan coils, traffic noise, poor lighting, and buildings located within the pollution. urban area. Many volatile organic compounds, considered chemical contaminants, can cause acute effects on a building's occupants. "Bacteria, fungi, pollen, and viruses are a type of biological contaminant" and all may cause SBS. In addition, outdoor pollution, such as motor vehicle exhaust, may contribute to SBS. The symptoms of adult SBS are associated with a history of allergic rhinitis, eczema and asthma.
A 2015 study of SBS associations and indoor air pollution in office buildings in Iran found as an increase in carbon dioxide levels in a building, symptoms such as nausea, headache, nasal irritation, dyspnea, and dryness of the throat have also been shown to increase. Certain working conditions have been found to be correlated with specific symptoms. For example, higher light intensity is significantly related to skin dryness, eye pain, and malaise. Higher temperatures have also been found to be correlated with symptoms such as sneezing, redness of the skin, itchy eyes and headache, while higher relative humidity has been associated with sneezing, skin redness, and eye pain.
ASHRAE has acknowledged that contaminated urban air, defined in the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) air quality rating as unacceptable requires installation of treatments such as filtration where HVAC practitioners generally use absorbed carbon filters and the like.
In 1973, in response to the oil crisis and conservation concerns of 1973, ASHRAE Standard 62-73 and 62-81 reduced the required ventilation from 10 cubic feet per minute (4.7 L/s) per person to 5 cubic feet per minute ( 2.4 L/s) per person, but this was found to be a contributing factor to a sick building syndrome. In the revised 2016, ASHRAE ventilation standards require 5 to 10 feet cubic per minute of ventilation per passenger (depending on occupancy type) in addition to ventilation based on zone floor areas sent to the respiratory zone.
Psychological factors
One study looked at commercial buildings and their employees, comparing several environmental factors suspected of inducing SBS into self-reported surveys from residents, finding that the measured psycho-social circumstances were more influential than the environmental factors tested. A list of environmental factors in this study can be found here. Limitations of the study include that it only measures the indoor environment of commercial buildings, which have different building codes of residential buildings, and that the assessment of the building environment is based on lay observations of a number of factors.
Studies have shown that SBS shares some common symptoms in other conditions that are considered at least in part due to psychosomatic tendencies. The term umbrella "autoimmune syndrome/inflammation induced by adjuvants" has been suggested. Other members of the recommended group include Silicosis, Macrophagic myofascitis, The Gulf War syndrome, post-vaccination phenomenon.
Workplace
Larger effects are found with features of the psychosocial work environment including high job demands and low support. The report concludes that the physical environment of office buildings appears to be less important than the features of the psychosocial work environment in explaining differences in the prevalence of symptoms. However, there is still a connection between the sick building syndrome and the symptoms of the worker regardless of the stress at work.
Excessive work stress or dissatisfaction, poor interpersonal relationships and poor communication often appear to be associated with SBS, recent research suggests that a combination of environmental sensitivity and stress can greatly contribute to the sick building syndrome.
Stress-related occupational specialty associated with specific SBS symptoms. Workload and work conflicts are significantly related to common symptoms (headache, abnormal fatigue, cold sensation or nausea). While dense work space and low job satisfaction are associated with upper respiratory symptoms.
Special careers are also associated with certain SBS symptoms. Transportation, communication, health care, and social workers have the highest prevalence of common symptoms. Skin symptoms such as eczema, rashes, and rashes on the hands and face are related to technical work. Forestry, agriculture, and sales workers have the lowest rates of symptoms of ill building syndrome.
Milton et al. determining the cost of special sick leave for a business is about $ 480 per employee, and about five days sick leave per year can be attributed to low ventilation rates. When comparing areas with low ventilation levels in buildings to areas with higher ventilation, the relative risk of short-term sick leave is 1.53 times greater in low ventilation areas.
Work productivity has been attributed to the level of ventilation, contributing factors to SBS, and there was a significant increase in production as the ventilation rate increased, by 1.7% for each doubling of the level of ventilation.
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Sick building syndrome can also occur due to house factors. Laminated flooring can cause more exposure to chemicals and produce more SBS symptoms compared to rocks, tiles, and cement floors. New furniture and new furniture in the last year were also found associated with increased symptoms, along with moisture and related factors, having pets, and presence of cockroaches. The presence of mosquitoes is also a factor associated with more symptoms, although it is unclear whether it is due to the presence of mosquitoes or the use of repellent.
Diagnosis
While sick building syndrome (SBS) includes many non-specific symptoms, building-related illness (BRI) consists of specific symptoms that can be diagnosed by certain agents (chemicals, bacteria, fungi, etc.). These can usually be identified, measured, and quantified. There are usually 4 causal agents at BRI; 1.) Immunologic, 2.) Contagious, 3.) toxic, and 4.) irritating. For example, Legionnaire's disease, usually caused by Legionella pneumophila , involves specific organisms that can be ascertained through clinical findings as a source of contamination in a building. SBS has no known drug; poverty consists of getting rid of people affected by buildings that are associated with non-specific symptoms. BRI, on the other hand, uses appropriate treatments for contaminants identified in the building (eg, antibiotics for Legionnaire disease). In many cases, simply improving the indoor air quality (IAQ) of a particular building will weaken, or even eliminate, the acute symptoms of SBS, while the removal of source contaminants will prove to be more effective for certain diseases, as in the case of BRI. Building-related illnesses are critical to the overall understanding of Sick Building Syndrome because BRI describes causal pathways for infection, theoretically. The BRI office may be more likely than not to be explained by three events: "Diverse in the response threshold in each population (vulnerability), spectrum of responses to a particular agent, or variability in exposure in large office buildings." Isolating one of the three aspects of the BRI office can be a big challenge, which is why those who find themselves with BRI should take three steps, history, examination, and intervention. History illustrates the ongoing action of monitoring and recording the health of workers experiencing BRI, as well as obtaining records of previous building changes or related activities. The examination goes hand in hand with employee health monitoring. This step is done by physically examining the entire workspace and evaluating possible threats to health status among employees. Interventions follow suit according to the results of the Examination and History report.
Prevention
- Plants absorb toxins, such as sansevieria.
- Non-pressure roof cleaners to remove algae, mildew, and Gloeocapsa magma .
- Uses ozone to remove many sources, such as VOCs, molds, mosses, bacteria, viruses, and even odors. However, many studies have identified high ozone shock treatments as ineffective despite the popularity of commercial and popular beliefs.
- Replacement of water-stained ceiling tiles and carpet.
- The use of paints, adhesives, solvents, and pesticides in well-ventilated areas and the use of these pollutants during non-occupancy periods.
- Increase the amount of air exchange; The American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air-Conditioning Engineers recommend a minimum of 8.4 air exchange per 24 hour period.
- Proper and frequent treatment of HVAC systems.
- UV-C light in HVAC plenary.
- Installation of HVAC Air Cleaning systems or devices to remove VOC's, bioeffluents (smell of people) from HVAC air-conditioning systems.
- An ordinary vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter vacuum cleaner to collect and store 99.97% of particles to and including 0.3 micrometers.
- Place the bed in the sun, which is associated with research conducted in areas with high humidity where wet beds are common and associated with SBS.
- Ventilation rate rises above the minimum guidelines.
- Lighting in the workplace should be designed to give individual control, and be natural whenever possible. Epidemiology
- Aerotoxic syndrome
- Some chemical sensitivity
- NASA Clean Air Study
- Somatization disorder
- MartÃÆ'n-Gil J., Yanguas M. C., San Josà ©  © J. F., Rey-MartÃÆ'nez and MartÃÆ'n-Gil F. J. "Research results to ailing hospitals". International Hospital Management , 1997, p. 80-82. Sterling Publications Limited.
- ÃÆ'... to ThÃÆ'¶rn, The emergence and preservation of sick building syndrome , KI 1999.
- Charlotte Brauer, Sick building syndrome revised , Copenhagen 2005.
- Michelle Murphy, Sick Building Syndrome and Uncertainty Problem , 2006.
- Johan Carlson, " Gemensam fÃÆ'¶rklaringsmodell fÃÆ'¶r kopplade sukukar until inomhusmiljÃÆ'¶n finns inte " [Integrated explanation for diseases related to indoor environment not found]. LÃÆ'¤kartidningen 2006/12.
- Report of the Research Committee on the Diagnosis and Treatment of Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome Caused by Exposure to the Damaged Interior Environment of Water Buildings (PDF).
Several studies have shown a small difference between the sexes, with women having a slightly higher SBS symptoms report than men. However, many other studies have shown a higher difference in reports of symptoms of sick building syndrome in women than with men. But it is not entirely clear whether this is due to biological, social, or occupational factors.
A 2001 study published in the Journal of Indoor Air 2001 collected 1464 participants working in the office to promote a scientific understanding of gender differences under the Sick Building Syndrome phenomenon. Using questionnaires, ergonomic inquiry, building evaluation, as well as physical, biological, and chemical variables, the researchers obtained results comparing with SBS studies and gender in the past. The study team found that in most test variables, prevalence rates differed in most areas, but there was also a deep stratification of the working conditions between the sexes. For example, the male workplace tends to be much larger and has all the characteristics of a better job. Secondly, there are striking differences in reporting rates, finding that women have a higher reporting rate of about 20% higher than men. This information is similar to that found in previous studies, suggesting a potential difference in willingness to report.
There may be a gender difference in reporting the level of sick building syndrome because women tend to report more symptoms than men. Along with this, several studies have found that women have a more responsive and more susceptible immune system to mucosal dryness and facial erythema. Also, women are accused by some to be more open to indoor environmental factors because they have a greater tendency to have administrative work, where they are exposed to unique office equipment and materials (eg blueprints), whereas men often have work outside the office.
History
In the late 1970s, it was noted that nonspecific symptoms were reported by tenants at newly constructed homes, offices and nurseries. In the media it is called "office illness". The term "Sick Building Syndrome" was coined by WHO in 1986, when they also estimated that 10-30% of newly constructed office buildings in the West have indoor air problems. Early research in Denmark and the UK reported symptoms.
The bad indoor environment attracts attention. The Swedish allergy study (SOU 1989: 76) points to "sick buildings" as the cause of allergy epidemics as feared. In the 1990s, therefore, extensive research into "sick development" was undertaken. Various physical and chemical factors in the buildings are examined in front of a large area.
The problem is increasingly highlighted in the media and is described as a "time bomb". Many studies were conducted in each building.
In the 1990s "sick buildings" were contrasted with "healthy buildings". The chemical content of building materials is highlighted. Many building material manufacturers are actively working to control their chemical content and replace the criticized additives. Industrial ventilation advocates above all better functioning ventilation. Others see ecological constructions, natural materials, and simple techniques as solutions.
In the late 1990s there was an increasing distrust of the concept of "sick building". The dissertation at the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm in 1999 questioned the methodology of previous research, and the Danish study from 2005 showed this shortfall experimentally. It is suggested that the sick building syndrome is not really a coherent syndrome and not a disease that is diagnosed individually. In 2006, the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare recommended in the medical journal LÃÆ'¤kartidningen that "sickness development syndrome" should not be used as a clinical diagnosis. After that, it has become increasingly less common to use terms such as "sick buildings" and "sick building syndromes" in the study. However, this concept remains alive in popular culture and is used to establish a series of symptoms associated with poor environmental or home environment techniques. "Building Pain" is an expression used primarily in the context of occupational health.
Sick building syndrome makes a quick journey from the media to the courtroom where professional engineers and architects become accused and represented by their respective professional insurance companies. Proceedings always rely on expert witnesses, medical and technical experts along with building managers, contractors and finished producers and furniture, testify as cause and effect. Most of these actions result in a sealed settlement agreement, nothing dramatic. Insurance companies need a defense based on the Professional Practice Standards to fulfill a court decision stating - that in modern buildings, essentially sealed, the HVAC system must produce air respiration for human consumption accordingly. ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers, currently with more than 50,000 international members) performs the task of codifying the IAQ standard (Indoor Air Quality).
The ASHRAE empirical study establishes that "acceptance" is a function of the level of outdoor air vents and uses carbon dioxide as an accurate measurement of attendance and occupant activity. The smell of buildings and contaminants will be well controlled by this dilution methodology. ASHRAE codified the rate of 1,000 ppm carbon dioxide and determined the use of taste control equipment and is widely available to ensure compliance. The 1989 publication of ASHRAE 62.1-1989 publicizes why and exceeds and exceeds the 1981 requirement aimed at the 5,000 ppm carbon dioxide ventilation level (OAHA workplace boundary), federally set to minimize HVAC system energy consumption. This apparently ended the SBS epidemic.
Over time, building materials are changing with respect to emission potential. Smoking disappears and a dramatic increase in ambient air quality, coupled with code-obsessed ventilation and maintenance, per ASHRAE standard all contribute to the acceptance of the indoor air environment. Only time and trial will tell how right or wrong ASHRAE is.
See also
References
Further reading
External links
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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