English

This study compared the prevalence of sick building syndrome among two groups of public service workers in Perugia, central Italy. 525 were employed in an air conditioned building with fan-coil units in every room and 281 in three naturally ventilated buildings. All the subjects completed a questionnaire about work-related SBS symptoms with an occupational medicine specialist.

The study of the causes of Sick Building Syndrome and its possible solutions have been bedevilled by methodological problems. This pilot study assessed the viability of using an expermental double blind cross-over study to overcome such difficulties. The experiment involved varying the rate of supply of outdoor air from 10 cubic feet per minute per person (cfmpp) to 20 cfmpp or 50 cfmpp by controlling the building's heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems.

This was a study of the relationship between mechanical ventilation and sick business syndrome in an office building with 1250 employees, where workers blamed the mechanical ventilation and indoor air quality for causing typical SBS symptoms such as nasal, eye, skin and mucous membrane irritations, lethargy and headaches). The building's mechanical ventilation rates were high.

This study investigates the effects of ventilation on the spread of airborne diseases. After four weeks contact with a colleague suffering from cavitary tuberculosis 27 of 67 office workers had documented tuberculin skin test conversions. Complaints by workers for more than two years previously prompted studies of the air quality in the building before and after the tuberculosis exposure. Concentrations of Carbon Dioxide in many parts of the building exceeded recommended levels, indicating inadequate ventilation with external air.

The possible links between the prevalence of sick building syndrome (SBS) and personal. occupational and environmental factors were studied in a random sample of the population between the ages of 20 and 65 in three districts in middle Sweden. Those persons whose mother smoked or who were brought up in urban areas more commonly reported SBS symptoms. Other variables which were related to SBS symptoms were current urban residency, fresh paint, and preschool children in the home.

This research studies the effects of air conditioning on blood pressure and the heart rate. It is based on studying the blood pressure and pulse of 32 young healthy Nigerian volunteers after they had been in an air-conditioned room from between 60 and 90 minutes. The same measurements were made under the same conditions with the air-conditioning switched off. The mean systolic blood pressure (SBP) was 115.3 +/- 11.5 mm Hg with air conditioning (AC) and 108.5 +/- 10.1 mm Hg without air conditioning. This difference was statistically significant.

As is well known, SBS involves symptoms such as eye, skin and upper airway irritation, headache, and fatigue. A multifactorial study was made among workers in consecutive cases of sick buildings to investigate the links between these symptoms, exposure to environmental factors, and personal factors. The total indoor hydrocarbon concentration had a significant correlation to the symptoms but other indoor exposures such as room temperature, air humidity, and formaldehyde or carbon dioxide concentration did not.

This study explored the possible connections between the incidence and prevalence of sick building syndrome (SBS), indoor exposures, and personal factors. This was accomplished by a four year longitudinal study of workers in six primary schools. The mean concentration of Carbon Dioxide exceeded the recommended value of 0.08 microlitres/l (800 ppm) in all schools, which suggested a poor outdoor air supply. Indoor levels of volatile hydrocarbon (VOC) was increased at high room temperatures.

The role of indoor climate factors on symptoms of the sick building syndrome was studied in Copenhagen, Denmark. Altogether, 2369 office workers completed questionnaires in 14 buildings, whose indoor climate was measured. The results were subjected to multivariate logistic regression analyses of the multifactorial effects on the prevalence of work-related mucosal irritation and work-related general symptoms among the office workers.

This study was based on measuring the physical and chemical characteristics of indoor climate variables in four town halls in Copenhagen in Denmark and on the odour-intensity judgements by a panel. Three of the buildings had high levels of work-related mucosal irritation and work-related general symptoms; the other one did not. There was a significant correlation between the total concentration of volatile organic compounds (TVOC), the air temperature and the panel's ratings of odour intensity and acceptability in the rooms.