Inside
Hot Topic: Indoor Air Quality And Your Health
Are you concerned about indoor air quality? According to the World Health Organization, approximately 30% of all commercial buildings have significant Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) problems. In fact, IAQ is quickly developing its own lexicon. Here are some definitions you may find useful:
Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) is the condition of a building in which more than 20% of the occupants are suffering from adverse health effects. Sometimes, the symptoms do not fit the pattern of any particular illness and are difficult to trace to one source. The symptoms include headache, stuffy or runny nose, fatigue, muscle aches, irritability and forgetfulness. The symptoms are annoying and can cause lost production and absenteeism. Sometimes there is an outbreak among many workers.
Building Related Illness (BRI) is a medically diagnosable illness that can be traced to a specific pollutant or source within a building. These illnesses include Legionnaires disease, asthma, hypersensitivity pneumonitis and humidifier fever. These diseases can be treated but pose serious health risks.
Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) occurs when an individual is sensitive to chemical exposures. Even low levels of exposure can cause adverse health effects. Some people have only minor symptoms, while other symptoms show up 20 or 30 years later when cancer, arthritis, or heart disease develops.
Some of the sources of indoor air pollutants include:
Ventilation problems
Carbon monoxide
Dust & particulate
Mold & fungi
Bacteria & Viruses
Fiberglass
Asbestos
Formaldehyde
Volatile organic compounds
Currently, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is conducting two studies of IAQ in public and commercial buildings. The Building Assessment Survey and Evaluation (BASE) study is a study of 100 buildings. The second study is the Temporal Indoor Monitoring and Evaluation study (TIME) which is being done on 40-60 federal buildings. These studies are designed to make the public more aware and better understand the importance of IAQ.
If you get an IAQ complaint, we recommend that you consult a professional to help you investigate the problem and recommend a solution. Even if you have good in-house capabilities, using an independent consultant will lend credibility.
Continue to Page 2 |
