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Sick Buildings and Materials with Harmful Health Effects

CONTEXT

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When more than 20% of the occupants of a building complain about the quality of the air or present non-specific symptoms, similar to those of a common cold or respiratory diseases, the existence of the phenomenon known as Sick Building Syndrome can be affirmed. Although the symptoms are generally mild, they affect a large number of people who spend time every day in these buildings and, in certain circumstances, they can have a noticeable effect on absenteeism levels.

The buildings most susceptible to generating this problem are usually energy efficient, equipped with forced ventilation systems that are generally common to the entire building, and relatively new or recently renovated with new materials. The problem is largely related to the construction of buildings that are increasingly hermetic for energy-saving reasons, limiting the possibilities of natural ventilation with less fresh air from the exterior in favour of recycled air from the interior. The wide variety of construction, coating and insulation materials and decorative elements (paint, varnish, rugs, etc.) that accompany these buildings, in addition to the contamination produced by magnetic fields and the quality of lighting, among other factors, may trigger the effects of the contaminants in the interior.

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The World Health Organization (WHO) distinguishes two different types of sick building syndrome: that presented by temporarily sick buildings, including new or recently renovated buildings, in which the symptoms reduce and disappear over time (approximately six months), and that presented by permanently sick buildings, in which the symptoms persist, often for years, in spite of measures having been taken to address the causes.

 

OBJECTIVE

  • Improve the quality of interior air and reduce the concentration of contaminants and other factors that may affect health in frequently used buildings like offices, hospitals and schools.
  • Be capable of diagnosing and recognising Sick Building Syndrome based on com-plaints from the building’s occupants or employees and identify the causes of the problem.

PROPOSALS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

  • Recognise the most frequent causes of Sick Building Syndrome: insufficient ventilation due to lack of maintenance, deficient distribution and insufficient fresh air intake; the presence of contaminants (formaldehyde and other VOCs) and suspended particles in the interior air from construction and decoration materials, office devices or cleaning products (the WHO recommends threshold values that can be consulted in NTP 289).
  • Recognise the characteristic symptoms of Sick Building Syndrome and take action when more than 20% of the occupants of the building lodge complaints. The symptoms to diagnose a sick building are diverse and temporary in nature, that is, the symptoms progressively reduce when the building is no longer occupied. The commonest and most significant symptoms are: eye, nose and throat irritations; dryness in mucous membranes and dry skin; difficulty breathing; skin rashes; non-specific hypersensitivity; nausea, dizziness and vertigo; headache and mental fatigue;
  • Collect the necessary information about complaints lodged by the occupants of affected buildings by means of the questionnaire recommended in NTP 290: Sick Building Syndrome: Questionnaire for its Detection.
  • Avoid the use of construction and decoration materials that contain formaldehyde and other VOCs. The presence of VOCs in construction materials is common in plastic paints, synthetic varnishes and in PVC-based floors and coatings. When there is no alternative, choose materials with low VOC emissions (ideally ≤ 100 ug/m3). The VOC emissions of each construction material can be consulted on their datasheets.
  • Insulate zones in which magnetic fields are generated and shield electrical conduits.
  • Prioritise natural light and complement it with artificial lighting that respects circadian rhythms.
  • It is advisable, as a reference value, to have a ventilation speed of 10 l/s per per-son to reduce the presence of the symptoms described above and the dissatisfac-tion of occupants with their air quality.
  • Maintain relative humidity in such a way that it helps keep electrostatic energy levels under control.
  • Avoid the presence of surfaces that favour the accumulation of contaminating agents which cannot be easily cleaned and may favour the growth of mould.

REFERENCE EXPERIENCES

  • Torre AGBAR, Barcelona.
  • Building Gas Natural, Barcelona (la Barceloneta).
  • Ciudad de la Justicia, Màlaga.

LEGISLATION

STUDIES AND TECHNICAL DOCUMENTATION

More information about addressing the Public Health Service: entornurbasalut@diba.cat

Date of last update:
dt., 11 de maig 2021 16:40:50 +0000