Indoor
air pollution and sick buildings with indoor air problems
by
Stan Halpern, Environmental Cleaning Consultant
Reactions to various allergic triggers, known
as "allergens" in the indoor work environment or a school building
is known as "Sick" Building Syndrome. A list of these allergic triggers
reads like an inventory of creation, including life's sustenance
(certain foods); perils (insect bites or stings), and inescapable
realities ( irritant dust, mold & mildew, and chemical residues
). Whatever forms allergen take, an allergy-sufferer's body always
makes the same strategic error: IT REACTS AS IF UNDER ATTACK BY
DISEASE-CAUSING PATHOGENS. The warning signs or symptoms are quite
familiar to anyone who has suffered from a cold or flu. Additionally,
harsh reactions to chemical residues or vapors within the work place
is known as ' Multiple Chemical Sensitivity' (M.C.S.). Both conditions
may begin to develop as exposure to such allergens in the indoor
and outdoor environments develop and worsen. Each year, allergens
account for more than 10 million Americans missing workdays and
keeps 10,000 children out of school each day!! What most people
perceive as an actual disease caused by bacteria or virus making
them sick IS, in reality, the reaction of their bodies interfacing
with a "SICK" work environment.
INFO
LINKS
Air
Purifiers Overview - view all air purifiers
sold by AllergyBuyersClub.com
Air
Purifiers Comparison Chart - a comparison with pluses and minuses
of all the best air purifiers
Over the past several decades, our exposure to indoor
air pollutants is believed to have increased due to a variety of
factors, including the construction of more tightly sealed buildings,
reduced ventilation rates to save energy, the use of synthetic building
materials and furnishings, and the use of chemically formulated
personal care products, pesticides, and household cleaners. In recent
years, comparative risk studies performed by the EPA and its Science
Advisory Board, (SAB) have consistently ranked indoor air pollution
among the TOP five environmental risks to public health. EPA, in
close cooperation with other Federal agencies and the private sector,
is actively involved in a concerted effort to better understand
indoor air pollution, and to reduce people's exposure to air pollutants
in offices, homes, and schools and other indoor environments where
people live, work, and play. Failure to prevent indoor air problems,
or failure to respond promptly, can have consequences such as:
Increasing the potential for long and short term
health problems for building occupants.
Impacting the productivity of fellow employees
to perform their work, or a school student to learn due to "sickness".
Decreasing the comfort zone of the work environment
Increasing absenteeism at the workplace, or student
attendance.
Accelerating deterioration and reducing efficiency
of the physical plant and equipment.
Increasing the POTENTIAL that a facility will have
to be closed, or occupant temporarily relocated; both are mandated
by a health authority due to poor quality of air.
Straining relationships between management and
employees, and between employee and employee.
Creating negative publicity that could affect a
corporate image through adverse publicity;(or school district's
image and/or an administrations good standing in the community.)
Creating potential liability problems and unnecessary
lawsuits.
The EPA's Fact Sheet Ventilation and Air Quality in Offices
provides a detailed factual description of indoor air quality issues
related to ventilation. Also, links to other sources and related
government sites.
The National Safety Council Indoor Air contains fact
sheets on many substances which cause quality problems, and educational
materials regarding indoor air quality generally.
NIOSH provides many links to topics
such as action plans for building air quality, to guides for building
owners and facility managers, and to items such as indoor environmental
quality fact sheets.
