Influence of personal characteristics, job-related factors and psychosocial factors on the sick building syndrome. Danish Indoor Climate Study Group.

Skov, Peder; Valbjørn, O.; Pedersen, Bo Vest

doi:10.5271/sjweh.1851

Cited by 241 publications

(196 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…A study of sick building syndrome (SBS) among office workers in Copenhagen, Denmark, revealed a positive association between SBS symptoms and office equipment (Skov et al 1989). In this study, significant involvement in either photocopying or the use of a video display terminal was positively associated with symptom prevalence for work-related mucosal irritation and work-related general symptoms.…”

Section: Public Health Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 61%

Indoor pollutants emitted by office equipment: A review of reported data and information needs

Destaillats

Maddalena

Singer

et al. 2008

Atmospheric Environment

318

184

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There is concern that potentially harmful pollutants may be emitted from office equipment. Although office equipment has been a focal point for governmental efforts to promote energy efficiency through programs such as the US EPA's Energy Star, little is known about the relationship between office equipment use and indoor air quality, and information on pollutant emissions is sparse. In this review, we summarize available information on emission rates and/or ambient concentrations of various pollutants that are related to office equipment use. Experimental methods used in the characterization of emissions are briefly described. The office equipment evaluated in this review includes computers (desktops and notebooks), printers (laser, ink-jet and all-in-one machines) and photocopy machines. Reported emission rates of the following pollutant groups are summarized: volatile organic chemicals (VOCs), ozone, particulate matter and several semivolatile organic chemicals (SVOCs). The latter include phthalate esters, brominated flame retardants, organophosphate flame retardants and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). We also review studies reporting airborne concentrations in indoor environments where office equipment was present and thought to be a significant contributor to the total pollutant burden (offices, residences, schools, electronics recycling plants). For certain pollutants, such as organophosphate flame retardants, the link between emission by office equipment and indoor air concentrations is relatively well established. However, indoor VOCs, ozone, PAHs and phthalate esters can originate from a variety of sources, and their source apportionment is less straightforward. This literature review identifies substances of toxicological significance, with the purpose of serving as a guide to evaluate their potential importance with respect to human exposures. Submitted to Atmos. Environ. IntroductionThe last few decades have seen major changes in the work environment. , 2001). In addition, the use of notebook computers spanning both work and non-work environments is on the rise.There is concern that potentially harmful pollutants may be emitted from office equipment. As summarized below, office equipment has been found to be a source of ozone, particles, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs). Among the chemicals emitted by office equipment are VOCs and SVOCs that have been associated with occupational symptoms such as eye, nose or throat irritation, headache and fatigue (Mendell et al. 2002;Wolkoff et al. 2006).The widespread and growing use of office equipment by a large fraction of the population in their workplaces, homes, and schools and the incomplete and fragmented evidence of this equipment as a source of health-relevant indoor air pollutants provide compelling arguments for a systematic evaluation of pollutant emissions. Since distributed desktop computers and associated displays are in close proximity to people, research on pollutant emissions from off...

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Section: Public Health Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 61%

Indoor pollutants emitted by office equipment: A review of reported data and information needs

Destaillats

Maddalena

Singer

et al. 2008

Atmospheric Environment

318

184

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Adjusted ORs in Table 5 showed a significant association of female gender with dissatisfaction with various IEQ factors. Moreover, ORs tended to increase after controlling for age and work characteristics, refuting the hypothesis that psychosocial factors rather than gender accounted for the differences observed between the sexes in office building studies [13,21,40].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 82%

“…In these studies, logistic regression was the usual data analytic approach, treating gender as the predictor of SBS symptom prevalence. The likelihood of having SBS symptoms quantified by odds ratio (OR) was higher among females than males [13,21,40,46].…”

Section: Kim J De Dear R Cândido C Zhang H Arens E 2013 Gender mentioning

confidence: 99%

Gender differences in office occupant perception of indoor environmental quality (IEQ)

Kim

Dear

Cândido

et al. 2013

Building and Environment

199

100

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This paper investigates the gender differences in the occupants' perception on various aspects of indoor environmental quality (IEQ) by two lines of inquiry; Firstly, a comprehensive literature survey spanning the research areas of indoor air quality (IAQ), sick building syndrome (SBS), thermal comfort, lighting, and acoustics was conducted. Secondly, statistical analyses were performed on a large, predominantly North American Post-Occupancy Evaluation (POE) database (N=38,257).Statistical analyses indicated that female occupants' satisfaction levels were consistently lower than male occupants for all fifteen IEQ factors (including thermal comfort, air quality, lighting, acoustics, office layout & furnishings, and cleanliness & maintenance) addressed in POE questionnaire, and the differences were statistically significant. Logistic regression analysis identified a significant association between female gender and dissatisfaction with individual IEQ factors. Those gender differences quantified by odds ratios (OR) were most pronounced for dissatisfaction with thermal environment, IAQ, and workspace cleanliness. The analyses produced consistent results, even after potential confounding factors such as age and work characteristics were controlled.

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“…14, 15,16 Some studies have shown relationships between psychological, social, and organizational factors in the workplace and the occurrence of symptoms and comfort complaints. 16,17,18,19 Less often, an illness may be found to be specifically related to something in the building environment. Some examples of potentially building-related illnesses are allergic rhinitis, allergic asthma, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, Legionnaires' disease, Pontiac fever, and carbon monoxide poisoning.…”

Section: Evaluation Criteriamentioning

confidence: 99%

Health hazard evaluation report: HETA-2000-0088-2809, Southwest Airlines Dallas Reservations Center, Grand Prairie, Texas Grand Prairie, Texas.

2000

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Influence of personal characteristics, job-related factors and psychosocial factors on the sick building syndrome. Danish Indoor Climate Study Group.

Cited by 241 publications

References 5 publications

Indoor pollutants emitted by office equipment: A review of reported data and information needs

Indoor pollutants emitted by office equipment: A review of reported data and information needs

Gender differences in office occupant perception of indoor environmental quality (IEQ)

Health hazard evaluation report: HETA-2000-0088-2809, Southwest Airlines Dallas Reservations Center, Grand Prairie, Texas Grand Prairie, Texas.

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