Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
to be associated with a building or indoor environment, they are, in fact,
building-related.
B.
Work-related illness and symptoms
The concept of work-related illness or symptoms as distinct from those that
are building-related have not yet been distinctly described in the scientific
literature. In many instances, illness symptoms may be associated with
specific work activities rather than exposures to components of building
environments. These would include eyestrain, headache, fatigue, and mus-
cle ache associated with working with video-display terminals and key-
boards; upper respiratory and skin symptoms associated with handling
carbonless copy paper; illness associated with exposure to glutaraldehyde
in medical and dental offices; latex allergy associated with using latex gloves
in medical and dental offices; severe mucous membrane irritation from
ammonia emanating from blueprint machines; illness associated with wet-
process photocopiers, laser printers, and spirit duplicators; and neurotoxic
symptoms due to solvent vapor exposures associated with printing, silk
screening, painting, etc.
In such cases, exposures are directly associated with a localized work
activity and not with contaminants in the general building environment.
However, if activity-related contaminants migrate and affect others, symp-
toms may be better described as building-related.
In many problem building investigations, skin symptoms are reported
and assessed within the context of an IAQ/IE problem. Skin symptoms are
typically caused by direct contact with irritant substances and materials.
Causal agents are, in most cases, unlikely to be airborne. As a consequence,
most IE reports of skin symptoms are likely to be work-, rather than build-
ing-, related.
C. Sick building syndrome
The term, “sick building syndrome” (SBS), has been historically used to
define a spectrum of subjective illness symptoms associated with build-
ing/work environments with which a specific causal agent or agents cannot
be identified. Panels of major organizations, i.e., the World Health Organi-
zation (WHO), the Commission of European Communities, and the Ameri-
can Thoracic Society, have attempted to define the apparent phenomenon of
SBS. Definitions overlap to some degree, but also define the nature of the
phenomenon quite differently. For illustrative purposes, “sick building syn-
drome” is described here within the context of the WHO definition.
Sick building syndrome has been defined by WHO on the basis of
frequently reported symptoms and complaints. These include: (1) sensory
irritation of the eyes, nose, throat; (2) neurotoxic or general health problems;
(3) skin irritation; (4) nonspecific hypersensitivity reactions; and (5) odor and
taste sensations. Sensory irritation is described as pain, a feeling of dryness,
