Sick Building Syndrome and Building Related Illnesses

Indoor air pollution is a health risk to people everywhere, whether in a home or office environment. In order to be energy efficient we have sealed up the buildings where we work and live, but this has created conditions where pollutants, molds, bacteria, and infectious diseases attack us on a daily basis.

In research performed by the World Health Organization, 30 percent of buildings worldwide are affected by contaminated indoor air quality. Much of the indoor air problems are due to the presence of indoor air pollution sources; poorly designed, maintained, or operated ventilation systems; and uses of the building that were unanticipated or poorly planned for when the building was designed or renovated.

This situation has become known as the “sick building syndrome” (SBS), where the people occupying a building experience non-specific health and discomfort problems that seem to be associated with time they spend in the building. The locations associated with the health effects may be limited to a particular room or area, or to the entire building.

With sick building symptoms, people within the building experience severe discomfort, headaches, dizziness, nausea, irritation of the eyes, nose or throat, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, and/or allergic reactions. Yet these symptoms do not seem to have a specific cause, and they disappear once the person leaves the building.

When the health problems are diagnosed as specific illnesses and linked directly to contamination within a building, then “sick building syndrome” becomes “building related illness” (BRI).

With Building Related Illness, people experience cough, fever, chills, muscle aches and chest tightness. These symptoms can be diagnosed and connected to an identifiable cause, and are not alleviated by merely leaving the building.

Causes Associated with Sick Building Syndrome

Sick building syndrome can be caused insufficient ventilation, biological contamination, and/or chemical contamination from indoor or outdoor sources. These causes can work individually or in concert, and thus are hard to pinpoint accurately.

Insufficient Ventilation

Because of energy conservation efforts in the last few decades, the building ventilation standards have been relaxed from 15 to 5 cubic feet per minute of outside air for each occupant. This reduction has been found to be inadequate for maintaining good indoor air quality in many cases. This situation is compounded by ineffective distribution of the indoor air by the air conditioning and ventilations systems.

Biological Contamination

Biological contamination is caused by living organisms. This includes bacteria, mold, pollen, viruses, and insect droppings that accumulate in ducts, carpeting, insulation and drains.

Indoor Chemical Contamination

Inside the building, many items and equipment emit volatile organic compounds and toxic compounds that can cause chronic health problems and severe reactions. Indoor air contaminants can be created by many sources, including copy machines, pesticides, cleaning agents, adhesives, carpeting, upholstery and space heaters. Indoor air pollution can be reduced by increased the circulation of outdoor air within the building.

Outdoor Chemical Contamination

On the other hand, the outside air can contribute to indoor contamination. If not properly designed and planned, a building may have air intake vents that are improperly located, for example, near garages or parking areas with heavy vehicle exhaust fumes.

Curing Sick Building Syndrome

As an individual, there are many simple things you can do to improve the indoor air quality in your home or office.

• Do not block air vents
• Do not smoke inside the building
• Dispose of garbage promptly
• Store food properly
• Do not bring contaminating products into the building
• Take corrective action when sick building syndrome is observed

Controlling indoor air quality involves integrating three main strategies. First, manage the sources of pollutants either by removing them from the building or by controlling the timing of their use. Second, dilute pollutants and remove them from the building through ventilation. Third, use filtration to clean the air of pollutants.

To eliminate the causes of sick building syndrome, the following combined actions should be taken.

Removal of Pollution Source

Removing the cause of the contamination is the most effective solution. The first action should be: routine cleaning and maintenance of the heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems; replacement of filters; replacement of water-stained carpets and ceiling tiles; elimination of cigarette smoking; and proper storage of paints, solvents and pesticides.

Increase Ventilation

You can reduce indoor pollution by increasing the air distribution and ventilation to exhaust the contamination from the building. The remedy can include just one specific problem area or the entire building.

Cleaning the Air

Air cleaning should be done along with the pollution removal and improved ventilation. Cleaning the air of small particles and gaseous pollution will go far to improve the quality of your indoor air.

O•ZONELite™ Helps Reduce Sick Building Syndrome

Combined with a thorough duct cleaning, the O•ZONELite™ bulbs can help immunize most buildings of sick building syndrome. O•ZONELite™ effectively cleans the air by removing air contaminants and pollutants. It is a safe, natural, and non-toxic way to eliminate germs, smoke and odors without the use of further chemicals.

It is better than the HEPA filters that merely trap airborne particles and organisms. Ozonelite actually destroys harmful bacteria, mold, and viruses, and eliminates the growth of airborne pathogens.

O•ZONELite™ is a light bulb with a TiO2 (titanium dioxide) coating which produces a photocatalytic action, reducing the airborne microorganisms into harmless CO2 and H2O that is completely safe for humans and animals. One O•ZONELite™ bulb can provide protection to several areas in your home or office, as opposed to filters that clean only their immediate area.

O•ZONELite™ is an environmentally-friendly way of destroying airborne organisms and bacteria. It eliminates the need for poisonous chemical aerosol sprays that are harmful to humans and animals. It destroys the biological pollutant sources without creating more chemical pollution.

The O•ZONELite™ bulb fits virtually anywhere a standard incandescent bulb can be used. This energy-efficient 23-watt bulb gives off the same light output as a regular 100-watt incandescent bulb, yet saves the user an average of $50 in energy consumption over the life of the bulb, because it lasts up to 8 times longer than an average light bulb.

Learn how to solve Sick Building Syndrome in your home or
office without damaging your health or the environment