Prevalence of the sick building syndrome symptoms in office workers before and six months and three years after being exposed to a building with an improved ventilation system.

Abstract

Objective-The prevalence of symptoms associated with the sick building syndrome (SBS) has recently been shown to decrease by 40% to 50% among office workers six months after they were exposed to a building with an improved ventilation system. The objective of the present study was to find whether the decrease in the prevalence of symptoms was maintained three years later. Methods-Workers from the same organisation occupied five buildings in 1991 and moved during that year to a single building with an improved ventilation system. All buildings had sealed windows with mechanical ventilation, air conditioning, and humidification. Workers completed a self administered questionnaire during normal working hours in February 1991 before moving, in February 1992 six months after moving, and in February 1995, three years after moving. The questionnaire encompassed symptoms of the eyes, nose and throat, respiratory system, skin, fatigue, and headache, as well as difficulty concentrating, personal, psychosocial, and workstation factors. During normal office hours of the same weeks, environmental variables were measured. Results-The study population comprised 1390 workers in 1991, 1371 in 1993, and 1359 in 1995, which represents 80% of the population eligible each year. The prevalence ofmost symptoms decreased by 40% to 50% in 1992 compared with 1991. This was similar in 1995. These findings were significant and remained generally similar after controlling for personal, psychosocial, and work related factors. Conclusion-In this study, the decrease of 40% to 50% in the prevalence of most symptoms investigated six months after workers were exposed to a new building with an improved ventilation system was maintained three years later. (SBS).' This typically involves symptoms from the central nervous system (headache, fatigue, and difficulty concentrating), and from mucous membranes (nose, throat, and airways), eyes, and skin.' Studies selected without regard to symptom complaints reported a prevalence of 20% or more of at least one work related symptom (usually improving when away from work) among workers occupying office buildings.2AAlthough the mechanisms involved in the production of symptoms are largely unknown, in many studies, several factors have been associated with an increased prevalence of symptoms. Personal (allergies and asthma, female sex), psychosocial (stress and dissatisfaction at work), and workstation factors (presence of carpet, time spent at a video display terminal, lighting, noise, comfort) have been associated with an increased prevalence of symptoms.5 Building and ventilation factors are thought to influence the prevalence of symptoms associated with the SBS. In a reanalysis of six epidemiological studies,6 it was shown that the prevalence of symptoms was consistently two to three times greater in buildings with mechanical ventilation and air conditioning than in buildings with natural or simple mechanical ventilation. In these studies, the presence of sealed windows, in 47 of 48 buildings, was...

The Effect of Indoor Foliage Plants on Health and Discomfort Symptoms among Office Workers

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Inflammation markers in nasal lavage, and nasal symptoms in relation to relocation to a newly painted building: a longitudinal study

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“…A redecorated building may have increased emissions from new building materials [38], which may be compensated for by better ventilation [2]. All buildings had a CO 2 value below the current ventilation standard of 1,000 ppm [15].…”

Oxidative Stress Associated with Indoor Air Pollution and Sick Building Syndrome-Related Symptoms among Office Workers in Taiwan

“…In this study, we failed to find such kind of association. Low ventilation rate in the room is thought to be the major cause of SBS symptoms (Bourbeau et al, 1997;Seppänen et al, 1999;Backman & Haghighat, 1999;Apte et al, 2000). It has been found that the indoor volatile organic compounds exposure has a significant respiratory effect (Samet et al, 1987).…”

“…Many previous studies were conducted to investigate the etiology of the SBS, but the risk factors causally associated with SBS remain debatable (Kreiss, 1990;Menzies et al, 1997;Redlich et al, 1997;Teculescu et al, 1998;Seidner, 1999;Tearle, 1999;Mahmoudi & Gershwin, 2000;Niven et al, 2000;Yassi et al, 2001). Among findings, insufficient ventilation and uncomfortable temperature and humidity have been thought to be the major factors associated with the SBS (Bourbeau et al, 1997;Backman & Haghighat, 1999;Seppänen et al, 1999;Apte et al, 2000;Engvall et al, 2001;Burge, 2004). Insufficient ventilation in officices may cause indoor air pollutants to accumulate gradually.…”