From Euro Environmental

Sick Building Syndrome
Sick Building Syndrome

In recent years, newspapers have been filled with headlines about acid rain and the depletion of the ozone layer.  The good news is that the Environmental Protection Agency says we're making progress in reducing the six key pollutants in our air, including carbon monoxide, lead, and ozone. The bad news is that while the outside air is improving, the air we breathe indoors may be getting worse. Studies have shown that most people spend 90% of their lifetime in indoor environments. Indoor air quality (IAQ) issues impact the lives of people across the globe. Problems with poor air quality in buildings and homes can result in health concerns, liability lawsuits, lost productivity, and decreased property values. Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) and Sick Building Syndrome issues threaten the health of workers, families, patients and students, EURO environmental services is leading the way in identifying the cause of your toxic airborne issues.

More common than illnesses with a traceable cause, are complaints of "sick building syndrome" which involves a constellation of symptoms that usually includes fatigue, headache, dry, itchy skin, and irritation of mucous membranes in the eyes, nose, and throat. Unlike building-related diseases, these symptoms tend to disappear once people are out of the suspect building.

People with sick building syndrome usually don't have any disease that a doctor can detect, but their suffering is undeniable, says Richard Lockey, MD, director of the Division of Allergy and Immunology at the University of South Florida and an expert on indoor air quality. In some cases, the symptoms are so severe that a person can no longer work at the building in question.

Workers have fallen sick in buildings ranging from libraries and hospitals to offices, and most of them say poor indoor air is to blame. Complaints are especially common in newer, energy-efficient buildings where windows are sealed shut and fresh air is scarce. So many cases have been reported that the Environmental Protection Agency estimates that one out of four new or renovated indoor buildings in the may be classified as "sick buildings." Workers suffering building-related illnesses cost business billions each year in lost productivity and liability lawsuits, sending many companies on a desperate search for answers.

IAQ problems in non-industrial buildings such as homes, schools and offices are often caused by complex issues. Diagnosing the sources of poor IAQ requires the professional expertise of experienced consultants like those at EURO environmental services. It is important that individuals be highly qualified to fully investigate and identify the total problem according to recognized industry standards and guidelines.

One of the most acutely toxic indoor air contaminants is carbon monoxide, a colourless, odourless gas that is a by-product of incomplete combustion of fossil fuels. Common sources of carbon monoxide are tobacco smoke, space heaters using fossil fuels, defective central heating furnaces and automobile exhaust. By depriving the brain of oxygen, high levels of carbon monoxide can lead to nausea, unconsciousness and death.

Exposure to the bio-aerosols such as the mycotoxins released by Stachybotrys chartarum or Stachybotrys atra can have a wide range of health damaging effects. Symptoms can manifest in forms such as chronic fatigue or headaches, fever, irritation to the eyes, mucous membranes of the mouth, nose and throat, sneezing, rashes, and chronic coughing. In severe cases of exposure or cases exacerbated by allergic reaction, symptoms can be extreme including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and bleeding in the nose or lungs – sometimes with fatal consequences. In one recorded case, poisoning by mycotoxins was responsible for the deaths of 16 children.

Legionellosis is an infectious disease caused by bacteria belonging to the genus Legionella. Over 90% of legionellosis cases are caused by Legionella pneumophila, an aquatic organism that thrives in warm environments (25 to 45 °C with an optimum around 35 °C). Legionnaires' disease is the more severe form of the infection and produces pneumonia. Pontiac fever is caused by the same bacterium, but produces a milder respiratory illness which resembles influenza.

Radon is an invisible radioactive gas which is found in some rock formations beneath buildings or in certain building materials. Radon is probably the most pervasive serious hazard for indoor air in the Europe, probably responsible for tens of thousands of deaths from lung cancer each year. There are relatively simple tests for radon gas, but these tests are not commonly done, even in areas of known systematic hazards. Radon is a heavy gas and thus will tend to accumulate at the floor level. Building materials can be a source of radon, but very little testing is done on the materials brought into building sites. Radon’s half life is 3.8 days, meaning that once the source is removed, the hazard will be greatly reduced within a few weeks.

Asbestos is found in older homes and buildings, but it is most dangerous in schools and industrial settings. It was once widely used in shingles, fireproofing, heating systems and floor and ceiling tiles. When asbestos-containing material is damaged or disintegrates, microscopic fibres are dispersed into the air. Asbestos exposure greatly increases the chance an individual will contract lung cancer. While most asbestos-associated cancers are related to the intensity and duration of exposure, the symptoms of the disease do not usually appear until about 20 to 30 years after the first exposure to asbestos.

Carbon dioxide is a surrogate for indoor pollutants emitted by humans and correlates with human activity and poor HVAC circulation. Carbon dioxide at levels that are unusually high indoors may cause occupants to grow drowsy, get headaches, or function at lower activity/productivity levels. The UK standards for schools say that carbon dioxide in all teaching and learning spaces, when measured at seated head height and averaged over the whole day should not exceed 1,500 ppm. The whole day refers to normal school hours (i.e. 9.00am to 3.30pm) including unoccupied periods such as lunch breaks.

For further information on Sick Building Syndrome please contact us on 041 984 5440 or email info@euroenv.ie