Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
building owners/managers as to the causes of building environment com-
plaints and how best to resolve them.
5. Diagnosing specific nonresidential IAQ/IE and other
building-/work-related problems
The successful diagnosis and resolution of building environment complaints
requires that the investigator be familiar with the most common causes of
complaints and how to resolve them. It is important to realize that in most
problem building environments there is no single causal agent present that
can be uniquely identified as responsible for the spectrum of health concerns
reported by building occupants. Reported health symptoms are likely to be
multifactorial in their genesis. As a consequence, it is unlikely that a problem
building investigation will resolve all health/IAQ/IE concerns. Neverthe-
less, it is possible to diagnose and address the major problems present. These
include inadequate ventilation, cross contamination/entrainment/re-entry
problems, exposure to work materials and equipment, excessive concentra-
tions of volatile organic compounds (TVOCs), HCHO exposures, surface
dust, and hypersensitivity pneumonitis.
a. Inadequate ventilation. As indicated earlier in this chapter, inade-
quate ventilation has a variety of causes. It is characterized by occupant
complaints of headache, fatigue, and a lack of air movement. It is recognized
by occupant use of fans, excessive CO 2 levels (>1000 ppmv) at peak occupant
capacity, and noticeable human odor on entering a building or building space.
b. Cross contamination/entrainment/re-entry. Along with ventilation
system deficiencies, this group of related problems is a common cause of
complaints in buildings. They are often characterized by odors that are out
of place, e.g., odors from printing solvents contaminating other areas because
of pressure imbalances, motor vehicle exhaust odors drawn through outdoor
air intakes or by infiltration, boiler exhausts and cooking odors that re-enter
the building due to poor siting of exhausts and intakes, and pressure imbal-
ances. Not uncommonly, reports of odor are associated with building-related
health complaints that are only coincidental.
c. Work materials/equipment. Some employees report health com-
plaints that uniquely affect them. As such, they do not constitute a building-
wide IAQ/IE problem. Such complaints are often associated with intensive
handling of paper products such as carbonless copy paper (CCP) and pho-
tocopied bond paper. Individuals sensitive to CCP typically report a variety
of upper respiratory symptoms characterized by hoarseness and, in some
cases, laryngitis. Complaints increase with increased CCP contacts. Skin
rashes and a chemical taste in the mouth may also be reported. Individuals
at risk include billing personnel, medical records clerks, and other individ-
uals who process large numbers of forms (typically >25 to 50+ paper contacts
per day). Those reporting very severe symptoms may handle upwards of
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