Sick Building Syndrome:
Something In The Air?
Sick Building Syndrome or SBS can have a wide variety of effects upon
people.
The one common factor, however, is that either symptoms clear up or
people just feel better when they are outside of the building.
The symptoms
Before finding out what causes Sick Building Syndrome, it might be
useful to have a look at the associated symptoms.
Although a list is usually never complete, what follows is a fairly comprehensive
overview of what has been linked with SBS:
- Headache
- Eye, nose, or throat irritation
- Dry cough
- Dry or itchy skin
- Difficulty in concentrating
- Lethargy
- Fatigue
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Sensitivity to odors
- Increased incidence of asthma attacks/appearance of asthma in non-asthmatics
- Personality changes such as rage/weeping/paranoia/depression
So, what is it?
SBS was recognized in the 1970’s. Since that time a lot of research
has been done to minimize the risks.
Because of the variety of effects and their similarity to some of the
symptoms associated with noxious energies, SBS has sometimes been confused
with geopathically stressed areas.
There are primarily four main causes of these symptoms associated with
SBS. They are:
- Major combustion pollutants
- Biological air pollutants
- Volatile Organic Compounds
- Heavy Metals
Major Combustion Pollutants
These are mainly from defective heating appliances. This can result
in irritants such as nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide being released
into the atmosphere.
Biological Air Pollutants
Dander, mold, dust mites and other airborne articles associated with
humans and animals are all carried around by heating, cooling and ventilation
systems. Any of them can cause infections, lead to hypersensitivity
or even poisoning of the body.
Volatile Organic Compounds
Generally, these are gases which come off from certain materials.
You have probably dealt with this when re-painting a room. The smell
from the paint can be unpleasant. That smell is caused by a volatile
organic compound. Such things include formaldehyde, pesticides, solvents,
cleaning agents, benzene, and perchloroethylene. Potential sources of
such compounds include scents and hair sprays, household products such
as finishes, rug and oven cleaners, paints, thinners, dry cleaning fluids,
some copiers and printers, some glues and adhesives, markers, and photo
solutions.
If you have new fixtures and fittings, then they can be potent source.
New rugs, carpets, wall-coverings and construction in general are
all sources contributing to sick building syndrome.
Heavy metals
This is less likely nowadays because of legislation removing lead and
mercury from paints. However, you can still suffer from these in older
buildings undergoing renovation or repair.
Conclusion
You will probably have noticed that the main reason these things cause
problems is due to poor or inadequate ventilation. Modern buildings
follow guidelines to minimize such exposure. Having your heating, ventilation
and air-conditioning (HVAC) regularly serviced is an important way of
preventing sick building syndrome.
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