Because of modern building materials and airtight constructions, the indoor air quality (IAQ) in many commercial buildings can have an adverse effect on people’s health and productivity.This building sickness has been termed “Sick Building Syndrome” (SBS) and its cause cannot easily be identified.
Symptoms of Sick Building Syndrome:
- Headache
- Eye, nose or throat irritation
- Dry cough
- Dry or itchy skin
- Dizziness and nausea
- Difficulty concentrating
- Fatigue
- Sensitivity to odors
According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, these complaints can stem from other causes, including allergies and other illnesses, but studies show that symptoms may be caused or aggravated by poor indoor air quality.
What to do when you suspect Sick Building Syndrome
Step 1
Identify possible causes
Sick Building Syndrome has been associated with environments that feature inadequate ventilation. Does your building have a ventilation system and does it provide enough clean, outdoor air for every person in the room? Familiarize yourself with the recommended ventilation standards by organizations such as the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE).
Building sickness can also be caused by chemical pollution released by building materials and furnishings in the building. Examples include adhesives, carpeting, copy machines and cleaning agents. Many modern-day products emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as formaldehyde. Often, chemical pollutants also enter the building from the outside, through poorly placed air intake vents.
Another possible cause for sick building syndrome is biological in nature. Bacteria, molds and viruses plague many interior spaces, and they thrive in moist and humid environments.
Keep these possible causes in mind during the initial walk-through.
Step 2
Introduce measures to improve indoor air quality
Source control: If the source of the pollution has been identified, you can take the appropriate steps toward removal and future protection. These steps depend on the specific problem in the building and may include periodic cleaning and maintenance of the filters in heating and air conditioning systems, fixing water leaks promptly as well as repairing any affected materials and using less pollutant products or limiting exposure to building occupants.
Ventilation: See above.
Air cleaning: EPA recommends using an air purification system as an adjunct to the two previous measures to capture smaller particles as well as chemicals and gaseous pollutants that are floating through the air. Many industrial and commercial settings have specific requirements when it comes to cleaning the air. You can find the right air purification system for offices, printing environments, workshops and other applications on Electrocorp's website.
Step 3
Collect information about indoor air quality
It’s better to know too much than to be ignorant, right? There are many useful resources out there that can help sort out your indoor air quality problems, provide odor control solutions and make workplaces healthier. Standards often change and air quality tests can provide helpful information.
Rental house is making us sick, especially me. The odor started out as a sweet chemical smell. Still the same but more potent.. the chemical part is stronger now. We are moving as soon as we find something else. I am pretty much living in my vehicle in the front yard. Have all the symptoms as above plus MORE! Landlord just wants us out. He has been pretty hateful about it. Told him from the get-go that we don't want to sue. We just want help identifying the problem so we know how to treat ourselves and heal. We are going to lose ALL our clothes and everything in the house made of cloth... couches, recliner, mattresses, and everything made of plastic. A 3-4 year old tv already died. The odor absorbs into anything porous. You can smell it on solid items too. Dishes, glasses... Have to wash it good to get the stink off. It is on and IN our skin, sweat, etc... When I sweat, the smell is so strong that it burns my nose. (and in other body waste)- They have hundreds of rentals and several available. Has he offered any of those? No. Has he said sorry, let's see what we can do to help you and your 3 year old grandson. (our grandson was here a lot but not anymore! """get out, you have 7 days to do it.""" Betcha the house will be up for rent the day we move. Found out (after he told us it had no hurricane damage) that there was extensive damage from hurricane Ivan in '04. Plus there was a water leak after we moved here that soaked the living room floor. (It's a floating wood floor)Was told they would replace it. They never did. We don't know if it's mold, chinese drywall, cabinets emitting formaldehyde, etc... Of course we have no money. None. we are going to hurt scraping up money to move. All we wanted was a little help, Another house. Anyway... thanks for letting me vent. And thank you for the article. It was very informative. ~God Bless! ~Sign, Sad & Sick
ReplyDeletePS: weird sweet chemical odor... almost like a burnt cookie, but not to burnt with cleaning products poured on top. I don't know... landlord finally admitting to smelling something but it wasn't strong. You can smell it in the yard sometimes! ~Thanks