Problem buildings - Indoor Environmental Quality - page 199

Table 7.4 Symptom Prevalence Rates (%) Among

Occupants in 11 Swedish “Sick” Office Buildings

Total mean

Symptom Prevalence (%) Range

Eye irritation 36 13-67

Swollen eyelids 13 0-32

Nasal catarrh 21 7-46

Nasal congestion 33 12-54

Throat dryness 38 13-64

Sore throat 18 8-36

Irritative cough 15 6-27

Headache 36 19-60

Abnormal tiredness 49 19-92

Sensation of getting a cold 42 23-77

Nausea 8 0-23

Facial itch 12 0-31

Facial rash 14 0-38

Itching on hands 12 5-31

Rashes on hands 8 0-23

Eczema 15 5-26

Source: From Norback, D., Michel, I., and Widstrom, J., Scand.

J. Work Environ. Health, 16, 121, 1990. With permission.

A systematic cross-sectional epidemiological study was conducted in 11
Swedish office buildings presumed to be “sick buildings” due to occupant
complaints. Reported symptom prevalence rates are summarized in Table
7.4 . High prevalence rates (>30%) were reported for eye irritation, nasal
congestion, throat dryness, sensation of getting a cold, headache, and abnor-
mal tiredness. In these “sick buildings,” rates appear, on average, to be
considerably higher than those observed in Danish noncomplaint municipal
office buildings. It must be noted, however, that the Swedish study included
all symptoms reported in a 6-month period. In the Danish study, symptom
prevalence rates were limited to symptoms that occurred often or always
and resolved when leaving the building.
It is notable here to compare results of Danish and Swedish studies to
an intensive study conducted in the headquarters building of the U.S. Envi-
ronmental Protection Agency (USEPA) in 1989. This building had been the
focus of occupant complaints (including litigation) of poor air quality, and
subject to considerable notoriety because of the irony of the situation and
failure of USEPA, NIOSH, and a host of private consultants to identify and
mitigate the causes of USEPA staff complaints.
The USEPA headquarters complex comprised three buildings. These
included Waterside Mall (WM) (a large building divided into sectors), and
two smaller buildings, Crystal City (CC) and Fairchild (FC). Prevalence rates
for IAQ-type and respiratory/flu-like symptoms are shown in Table 7.5 .
Prevalence rates of symptoms reported to occur often or always which