Sick Building Syndrome

Sick Building Syndrome is a funny name given to a host of not-so-funny ailments. It's a phrase coined for an affliction that can strike you at work or at home. In short, it is related to poor indoor air quality and it often centers around the design of the environment that you're spending time in. What makes it different from other syndromes with similar symptoms? Affected people usually complain that their symptoms appear when they are within the buildings and disappear soon after leaving.

The issue is an unpleasant one for families and business owners. For families, there are a host of uncomfortable physical effects associated with it. From an employer's perspective, it in undesirable because it causes employees to be absent more often and less productive while at work. It also costs them greatly in terms of medical costs. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that "sick buildings" generate an overall loss of over $61 billion dollars a year.

Common causes include faulty HVAC systems, corrupted ventilation systems that don't properly expel industrial chemicals from a building and lack of sufficient air filtration systems.

Simple, unsuspecting things can cause it too - like working in a building with bad acoustics or in areas with limited natural sunlight. Even poorly designed office furniture and equipment can play a role. Office bookshelves and carpets can emit formaldehyde and organic solvents which add to the mix. Office machines give off methyl alcohol, butyl methacrylate and ammonia-further worsening the issue. Then there are the more intense factors like chemical and biological contaminations (as with a factory spill) that can bring on conditions as well.

Infected buildings typically contain airborne particles (called bioaerosols) that originate from living organisms such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, molds, pollens, dust mites, insect remains, and pet dander. They linger and hang in the air. These bioaerosols are considered the major culprit in "Sick Building Syndrome" and can cause a host of infectious diseases ranging from allergic reactions like asthma and sinusitis to chronic fatigue.

The following list represents some common components of the syndrome, but you shouldn't worry if you have a few of the symptoms listed. What you would look for would be a sudden onset of more than one of the symptoms, followed by a chronic worsening of your condition.

  • Headaches
  • Nausea
  • Fatigue
  • Hypersensitivity to smells
  • Increased asthma attacks or the sudden onset of asthma
  • Dizziness
  • Personality changes like paranoia and depression
  • Resistant strains of bronchitis or pneumonia
  • Symptoms resembling Irritable Bowel Syndrome

What can be done about "Sick Building Syndrome?"

You can't get rid of your job and you don't want to get rid of your pets and your furniture. You just want to get rid of your illness. So what can you do?

You can tackle the issue in one of two ways. Prevent it or cure it. If you are in an existing building that is free from issues, you can take steps to prevent it from being contaminated in the first place. For example, have your company replace water-stained ceilings and floor units to prevent the spread and contamination of molds. Only use chemical compounds like paints, adhesives and solvents in well-ventilated areas so that you limit the amount of pollutants you are exposed to. Encourage cross-ventilation by opening windows in adjacent and opposing offices. Have a professional come in and adjust your system to meet the recommendations of the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers-which is 8.4 air exchanges per every 24 hour period.

In your home, you can increase your ventilation by simply opening windows, removing pollutant sources and making sure that you have your HVAC systems cleaned and checked routinely.

If you are in a building that is already affected, take steps to cure it. You may want to opt for an ozone generator, which blasts high levels of ozone into your contaminated rooms and kills the molds and bacteria growing there. If you've ever "bombed your house" for fleas, this process is similar. You must first leave your house before the generator is set off so that you are not breathing in the toxins. Then, the generator is set off and releases ozone blasts that destroy the enemy. Within a few short hours, the toxicity will leave your house along with the bacteria and molds that were causing Sick Building Syndrome in the first place.

Another choice is to have ultraviolet lights installed in your ventilation systems. The UV rays kill microbes and airborne bacterial and fungal organisms. They are also relatively inexpensive whether you are installing in your home or workplace, so your boss or your spouse will appreciate that!

Whether you are responsible for the air quality at work or at home, you will benefit from the expertise of professionals that are experienced in tackling this multi-tiered issue. Call us at Air Now for a consultation. We can offer an effective cure for whatever is ailing you.

AirNow, Inc.
190 Atlantic Ave.
Garden City Park, NY 11040
Phone: (516) 355-0032
Fax: (516) 248-4308