Sick Building Syndrome

[lemit]

In my work life, I first learned about indoor air quality for historical preservation reasons, learning how to preserve historical newspapers, microfilm, newsfilm, and photographs. I learned the ANSI standards also so I could approve grants to local historical societies for preservation projects and acted as a consultant to libraries seeking to preserve microfilm.

 

After that, I worked in a sick building. The building was in a state university. When 20 of us got sick, the university first mounted a defensive public relations campaign, then cleaned the building thoroughly, and then cursorily measured the air quality, resulting in a positive result. The university denied that I knew anything about indoor air quality (although I had conducted a thorough study of the air in that building five years earlier, in a federally funded project locally instituted by someone who had since died of unknown causes). Since our action against the university had failed, although a couple VP's and the university ombudsman told me privately we were probably right, I decided to hold my breath until I could retire, which I did eight years ago. In the 25 or so years since I first started working in that building, several have died of cancer, a couple have died of pneumonia, and a few more have died of mysterious causes. The latest victim of unknown cause was last year, a person who had been part of our Sick Building group and who had constantly predicted her own death by Sick Building.

 

Since it's been several years since I studied Sick Building, and since I'd like to think we can save a few lives if we shed light on the problem and the institutions that deny its existence, I'd like help from people who are more current with research and standards, particularly the standards.

 

Thanks for any help you can give me and the people who still work in sick buildings.

 

--lemit

[pamela]

I guess deaths by violence and by environmental disaster aren't very interesting to people (judging by my "Sick Building" site).

 

not so lemit, i am very familiar with sick building syndrome as well as the "sick" from new materials as well. I have just been a little behind at addressing this thread. My apologies:)

In the 25 or so years since I first started working in that building, several have died of cancer, a couple have died of pneumonia, and a few more have died of mysterious causes. The latest victim of unknown cause was last year, a person who had been part of our Sick Building group and who had constantly predicted her own death by Sick Building.

You havent provided enough information here to properly identify each individuals ailments and types of cancer. What other extenuating problems did each one have? It is difficult to place blame without all the facts, i am afraid. So why dont we start with you and the symptoms that you believe are the result of poor air quality. Other factors will need to be taken into consideration as well.

Age of building

Moisture content-appearance of mold for example

flooring

Sheetrock or plaster

age of duct work and methods used to clean them

building brick or other

and the list goes on

but lets start with this if you like and possibly help those who may be suffering from old building or new building sickness

[maikeru]

Surprisingly, this is a complex topic. I wish I knew more. I skimmed a bit on SBS when I was doing research on air pollution, its effects, and how to try to reduce it, because in my area we deal with severe and often unrecognized air pollution and ailments linked to it. I will be moving, because I can't deal with it any more and I've known people who are ill or suffering because of the air pollution.

 

The last two days have been "red" for air quality, and I've had an unrelenting and severe headache, sore throat, and asthma-like attacks. There's a thick, grey haze hanging above the Wasatch Front right now, some sort of photochemical smog.

 

I discovered that outdoor air pollution can even have an effect on "indoor air pollution," through chemical reactions, wear, and creating particulates. For example, ozone and nitrous oxides can react with the plastic in carpets, chemicals in paints, or even household dust to form irritants and toxins. Ozone can degrade plastics in the carpet or on items, causing them to become fine dust that can be inhaled, and these are probably health hazards. Newly painted surfaces and plastics can release chemicals or vapours with benzene, formaldehyde, and other known carcinogens, and in enclosed spaces, the concentrations can build up. Some of these chemicals contribute to the "new building" or "new car" smell. Indoor air pollution can also created by "air filters" or "air purifiers" that use UV light or ozone to sterilize the air. Other sources of indoor pollution comes from air fresheners, aerosols, and cleaning fluids.

 

I have read and tested the effects of plants on improving air quality, and they are surprisingly effective. I have many, many plants in my room to improve the air quality and to reduce the effect of the outside air pollution. I sleep more peacefully, can think more clearly, and feel much healthier most of the time. I usually don't feel sick or nauseous unless I go outside on a bad air day now.

 

Best Air-Filtering House Plants According to NASA! : TreeHugger

http://www.sti.nasa.gov/tto/Spinoff2007/ps_3.html

 

Hope this helps. I'm trying to avoid *any* kind of air pollution I can. It's made the last 5 years of my life hell and has sometimes caused serious health problems, such as when I had bronchitis during a bout of flu and two months of heavy air pollution. I felt like I nearly died during those 6 weeks I was deadly sick. That was when I realized I needed to move, because things are not going to get better in the foreseeable future. Air pollution of any kind is a serious threat to people, and more people need to take it seriously.