Sick building syndrome (SBS) refers to situations where building occupants experience acute health and comfort effects that seem to be linked to time spent in a building, but no specific illness or cause can be identified. Potential causes include chemical and biological indoor air pollutants, inadequate ventilation and filtration systems, and HVAC maintenance issues. Common symptoms include headaches, eye and respiratory irritation, and fatigue. Solutions involve improving ventilation, removing pollutant sources, and implementing preventative maintenance programs for HVAC systems.

1. Mohammad Az-Zahrani
aboeyadmaz@gmail.com
CAUSES, EFFECTS, and REMEDIES
SICK BUILDING
SYNDROME
(SBS)
KFUPM ARE

2. • PURPOSE
INTRODUCTION
• IAQ
• SBS
BACKGOUND
SYMPTOMS
CAUSES
• TESTS
• AVOIDANCE
• REMEDIES
SOLUTIONS
CONCLUSION

3.  Buildings Science Purpose:
 Providing Healthy Environments for Users/Workers
 Improving productivity using building systems and
strategies
 Protecting indoor space from harsh and unwanted
climatic and environmental conditions.
 IF the Buildings Fail to reach these objectives:
PROBLEMS !

4. ONE MAJOR PROBLEM:
POOR

5.  What is IAQ?
attributes of indoor air that affect a
person’s health and well-being
 How well indoor air:
1. satisfies thermal and respiratory requirements
2. prevents unhealthy accumulation of pollutants
3. allows for a sense of well-being

6.  Indoor air could be more polluted than
outdoor air.
 Most individuals spend up to 90 percent of
each day indoors.
 We may be experiencing indoor air
pollution without even knowing it.
 Homes are sealed more tightly to conserve
energy. Unfortunately, this seals in mold,
bacteria and other pollutants

7.  U.S. EPA ranks indoor air pollution among the
top five environmental risks to public health
 Poor IAQ results in Health Problems
 Major Health Problem:

8. The term "sick building syndrome",
was first coined in the 1970s.
What is ?
Those buildings in which there is a
prevalence of a range of symptoms
causing discomfort and a sense of
being unwell rather than a distinct
illness

9. • tight building syndrome
• closed building syndrome
• new building syndrome
• indoor air pollution,
• building-associated
illnesses
Other
Names

11. HOW IS IT CHARACTERIZED ?
EXTENSIVE
REPORTING
WORK
RELATED
SBS IS FOUND MORE IN HVAC-EQUIPPED BUILDINGS

12. WHEN TO SUSPECT IT ?
Symptoms are temporally related to time spent
in a particular building or part of a building.
Symptoms resolve when the individual is not in
the building.
Symptoms recur seasonally (heating, cooling).
Co-workers, peers have noted similar
complaints.

14. headaches
eye, nose,
and throat
irritation
dry cough
dry or itchy
skin
dizziness and
nausea
Lethargy
fatigue
sensitivity to
odors
Difficulty
Concentrating

15. In a study of 4373
office workers,
it was found that the
most commonly
reported symptoms
were:
 Mucous membrane
irritation (46%)
 Headache (43%)
 Lethargy (57%)

16.  “Specific” causes of SBS remain unknown
 There are cited “contributing factors”
 Multiple factors act in combination

17. Chemical Contaminants (outdoor)1
Chemical Contaminants (indoor)2
Biological Contaminants3
Inadequate Ventilation4
Poor Filtration5
Unacceptable HVAC hygiene6
Others7

18. Common Chemical Pollutants can enter from:
 Motor vehicle exhausts
 Plumbing vents
 Building exhausts (bathrooms and kitchens)
 From a nearby garage
 Windows, Doors, Openings

19.  VOCs – formaldehyde (off-gassing)
 Adhesives
 Upholstery
 Carpeting
 Copy machines
 Manufactured wood products
 Cleaning agents
 Pesticides
 tobacco smoke
 combustion products from:
 stoves, fireplaces, and unvented space heaters

20.  Pollen
 Bacteria
 Viruses
 Molds
stagnant water (moisture) that has
accumulated in humidifiers, drain pans, and
ducts, or where water has collected on ceiling
tiles, insulation, or carpet.

21.  In 1970s, buildings were designed to be more airtight,
with less outdoor air ventilation, in order to improve
energy efficiency.
 These reduced ventilation rates have been found to
be inadequate to maintain the health and comfort of
building occupants.
ASHRAE ventilation standards:
 15 cfm of outdoor air per person
 20 cfm/person in office spaces
 Up to 60 cfm/person (in smoking lounges)

22.  Using cheap, inefficient filters
 ability to remove smaller, respirable-sized
particulates
 Gaps in the filters bank will allow unfiltered air

23.  Dirt, grime,, and refuse are left in the air-handling
systems in a position of direct contact with the passing
supply airstream.
 water present in air-handling systems from humidification
and/or condensation
 This water produce environment for microbial growth.
 This growth, can be released into the air harming
occupants
 Unclean ducts interior surface

24.  Temperature
 Humidity
 Fluorescent Lighting and Electrical Equipment
 Bad Office Design/Ergonomics
 Noise
 Stress

26.  Building Investigation
 IAQ Investigation (4Ps)
People (occupants complaints)
Pressure (HVAC)
Pathway (of contaminants)
Pollutant (Types + Sources)

27.  Air Tests
 Airborne microbial samples
 Formaldehyde levels
 airborne particles
 CO2 , CO levels
 Temperatures and RH levels
 Airflow direction and/or air pressure differentials
 Air volume
 samples of outdoor air
 Water quality testing (associated with HVAC systems)
 waterborne microbial contamination

28.  Other Tests:
 environmental tobacco smoke (ETS)
 lighting and glare levels
 ozone levels
 Noise level
 other VOCs.

29.  Operation:
 Sufficient outside air must be introduced to the
inside (dilution and + Pressure)
 Boosting ventilation by retrofitting
 Supply air diffusers must not be covered over.
 Ceiling voids and the area between floor slab
and suspended ceiling should be kept
unobstructed and clean

30.  Maintenance:
 Conduct Preventative Maintenance (PM)
 Ensure all fans are functioning
 Detect and Repair water leaks
 Clean AHUs
 Regular Inspections

31.  Policy:
 Taking all IAQ complaints seriously
 Appointing an IAQ manager
 Education and communication

32.  Increasing the ventilation rates
 ASHRAE Standard 62-1989
 Removal of the pollutant source
 replacing water-stained ceiling tiles and carpets;
 banning smoking
 venting contaminant source emissions to the outdoors;
 using and storing paints, solvents, pesticides, and adhesives in closed
containers in well-ventilated areas;
 using those pollutant sources in periods of low or no occupancy;
 allowing time for building materials off-gas pollutants before occupancy.
 Air cleaning
 To remove smaller pollutants (e.g. ionizers)

33.  SBS is diagnosed : repeated symptoms in particular buildings
 SBS has negative effects on health, productivity and business
performance
 One of the major reason behind SBS is the poor IAQ
 SBS has core symptoms : nasal, eye, and mucous membrane irritation,
skin irritation, and headache.
 Chemical / biological contaminants with poor ventilation / air circulations
are the main factors for the symptoms of SBS
 Basic Solutions:
 Prevention over cure
 Better Ventilation
 Pollutant Removal

35. Range of building symptom indices in a group of buildings studied with the
same questionnaire with a maximum of 10 symptoms (the actual BSI is
dependent on the number of possible positive answers and differs between
questionnaires).
Burge P S Occup Environ Med 2004;61:185-190
©2004 by BMJ Publishing Group Ltd