Relation of dampness to sick building syndrome in Japanese public apartment houses

Saijo, Yasuaki; Nakagi, Yoshihiko; Ito, Toshihiro; Sugioka, Yoshihiko; Endo, Hitoshi; Yoshida, Toshihide

doi:10.1007/s12199-008-0052-y

Cited by 33 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…So the possibility of raised levels of TVOCs in newly dwellings is more as compared with that of old buildings. This finding of current study comes in agreement to previous studies [21]- [22]. The averaged concentrations of TVOCs recorded for this study were also higher in new building as compared with old one.…”

Section: A Evaluation Of Indoor Air Quality For Averaging Period Of supporting

confidence: 93%

Study of the Indoor Air Quality in two Residential Houses according to their Ages

2017

SAHSS-2017, LEBCSR-17, LERIS-2017, Jan. 31-Feb. 1, 2017 Bali (Indonesia)

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Abstract-The objective of this work was to explore the indoor air quality in two residential houses in Oman as per their ages, and to identify whether the quality of air in these two houses is acceptable for the residents or not. With a specific end goal to accomplish these objectives, the values of air quality parameters were taken at different areas of these two residential houses. The measured values of these parameters were then compared with the allowable values that are defined in international standards/guidelines. The results of the study demonstrated apparent elevated levels of CO 2 , TVOCs and temperature in the indoor environment of these houses which can affect the health of the residents.

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Section: A Evaluation Of Indoor Air Quality For Averaging Period Of supporting

confidence: 93%

Study of the Indoor Air Quality in two Residential Houses according to their Ages

2017

SAHSS-2017, LEBCSR-17, LERIS-2017, Jan. 31-Feb. 1, 2017 Bali (Indonesia)

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“…Odors (stuffy bad air, unpleasant odor and passive smoking) and dry air were found to be significantly associated with SBS symptoms in another Japanese study [44]. A third Japanese study found that mold odor was associated with general symptom (OR = 2.05, p = 0.086) among elementary school pupils [45], and associated with all types of SBS symptoms among residents [46]. A study in office workers reported that the sensation of dryness was strongly associated with the prevalence of SBS symptoms [14].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 88%

Odors and Sensations of Humidity and Dryness in Relation to Sick Building Syndrome and Home Environment in Chongqing, China

Wang

Qin

et al. 2013

PLoS ONE

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The prevalence of perceptions of odors and sensations of air humidity and sick building syndrome symptoms in domestic environments were studied using responses to a questionnaire on the home environment. Parents of 4530 1–8 year old children from randomly selected kindergartens in Chongqing, China participated. Stuffy odor, unpleasant odor, pungent odor, mold odor, tobacco smoke odor, humid air and dry air in the last three month (weekly or sometimes) was reported by 31.4%, 26.5%, 16.1%, 10.6%, 33.0%, 32.1% and 37.2% of the parents, respectively. The prevalence of parents’ SBS symptoms (weekly or sometimes) were: 78.7% for general symptoms, 74.3% for mucosal symptoms and 47.5% for skin symptoms. Multi-nominal regression analyses for associations between odors/sensations of air humidity and SBS symptoms showed that the odds ratio for “weekly” SBS symptoms were consistently higher than for “sometimes” SBS symptoms. Living near a main road or highway, redecoration, and new furniture were risk factors for perceptions of odors and sensations of humid air and dry air. Dampness related problems (mold spots, damp stains, water damage and condensation) were all risk factors for perceptions of odors and sensations of humid air and dry air, as was the presence of cockroaches, rats, and mosquitoes/flies, use of mosquito-repellent incense and incense. Protective factors included cleaning the child’s bedroom every day and frequently exposing bedding to sunshine. In conclusion, adults’ perceptions of odors and sensations of humid air and dry air are related to factors of the home environment and SBS symptoms are related to odor perceptions.

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“…Our findings that that indoor mold/dampness factors, including mold/dampness on floor/ceiling, moldy odour, window pane condensation in winter, dampness on bed/clothing, and putting bed in sunshine, were associated with most SBS symptoms is consistent with previous studies regarding associations between dampness factors and SBS symptoms. A number of studies found that an increased risk of SBS was associated with visible mold, mould/damp spots, and moisture problem in floors in dwellings (Bornehag et al 2003;Kishi et al 2009;Saijo et al 2009;Wang et al 2013a;Wang et al 2013b). A home study from Japan found that an increased concentration of "Microbial Volatile Organic Compounds" (MVOC) in house was significantly associated with mucosal symptoms (Araki et al 2010).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Most previous studies on sick building syndrome (SBS) have dealt with symptoms among office workers (Apter et al 1994), but only a few studies have addressed SBS in relation to home environment. (Araki et al 2010;Bornehag et al 2003;Kanazawa et al 2010;Kishi et al 2009;Sahlberg et al 2010;Sahlberg et al 2013;Saijo et al 2009;Takigawa et al 2010). In the office environment, SBS may have important implications affecting productivity.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Outdoor air pollution, meteorological conditions and indoor factors in dwellings in relation to sick building syndrome (SBS) among adults in China

Deng

et al. 2016

Science of The Total Environment

114

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Indoor environment is associated with the sick building syndrome (SBS), but little is known about the contribution of outdoor air pollution and meteorological conditions to SBS. We studied associations between outdoor air pollution, meteorological parameters and selected indoor exposure and building characteristics at home and weekly SBS symptoms in a standardized questionnaire study among 3485 randomly selected adults in China. Outdoor factors included particulate matters with diameter <10μm (PM10), sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), outdoor temperature (T), relative air humidity (RH), and wind speed (WS) during last three months. Multiple logistic regression was applied calculating odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence interval (95% CI). Asthma or allergic rhinitis (atopy) was associated with all types of SBS symptoms except fatigue. Indoor factors played a major role in SBS symptoms. Mold/dampness on the floor/ceiling was associated with fatigue OR=1.60 (1.11-2.30) and headache OR=1.80 (1.07-3.04). Moldy odor was associated with fatigue OR=1.59 (1.07-2.37) and dermal symptoms OR=1.91 (1.21-3.02). Window pane condensation in winter was associated with fatigue OR=1.73 (1.30-2.31) and throat symptoms OR=1.53 (1.01-2.31). Damp bed clothing was related with throat symptom OR=1.62 (1.09-2.40). Home redecoration was associated with fatigue OR=1.49 (1.07-2.06). Frequent window opening was associated with less nose symptoms OR=0.54 (0.36-0.82) and mechanical ventilation in the bathroom reduced dermal symptoms OR=0.66 (0.44-0.99). Females were more susceptible to redecoration and window pane condensation than men. No associations with SBS were observed for outdoor air pollutants or meteorological parameters in the final models combining indoor and outdoor factors, although SO2, T, and RH were associated with some SBS symptoms (fatigue, eyes and nose symptoms) in the separate outdoor models. In conclusion, indoor mold/dampness, air pollution from redecoration and poorer ventilation conditions in dwellings can be risk factors for SBS symptoms in an adult Chinese population, especially among females.

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Relation of dampness to sick building syndrome in Japanese public apartment houses

Abstract: There are serious problems relating to dampness in Japanese public housing, which affects the health of residents. There is a need to educate the residents about the relationship between dampness and SBS, and building problems should be rectified.

Cited by 33 publications

References 35 publications

Study of the Indoor Air Quality in two Residential Houses according to their Ages

Study of the Indoor Air Quality in two Residential Houses according to their Ages

Odors and Sensations of Humidity and Dryness in Relation to Sick Building Syndrome and Home Environment in Chongqing, China

Outdoor air pollution, meteorological conditions and indoor factors in dwellings in relation to sick building syndrome (SBS) among adults in China

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