The Facts About Indoor Air Quality
| "Sick Buildings" can lead to serious illness |
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| Not too long ago, a "sick" building wasn't a concern
for builders. It is now. In an ever-increasing
effort to become energy efficient, modern buildings are sealed
tight, thus trapping harmful contaminants. The result is Sick
Building Syndrome (SBS), which really means that the people
inside are getting sick. Occupants develop headaches, irritated
eyes, exhaustion, and a host of other symptoms that threaten
their health, work output and quality of life. |
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Even more disturbing is the occurrence of Building Related
Illness (BRI). These are clinically diagnosed illnesses like lung
cancer, chemical allergies, asbestosis and Legionnaire's Disease
that are most likely a direct result of long-term exposure to a
“Sick Building".
We know that a thorough inspection is an important first
step. This includes both a visual walk-through of the building and
then a careful measuring of pollutant levels utilizing on-site diagnostic
instruments. Once we have determined any and all sources of contaminants,
we will devise an abatement and maintenance program that will ensure
that your building occupants always have clean air to breathe.
Indoor environmental quality (IEQ) is a fundamental topic worldwide. In 2000, the World Health Organization (WHO) adapted the well-known principles of human rights to the indoor environment field. Additionally, the U.S. Environmental Prtection Agency (EPA) has listed poor indoor air quality as the fourth-largest environmental risk in our country.
According to researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in the United States, the economic losses caused by poor IEQ due to illness, absenteeism and lost of production is significant. They estimate that U.S. companies could save as much as $58 billion annually by avoiding sick building illnesses and could, as a result, realize at least $200 billion in productivity increases each year.
Indoor environmental problems may include a combination of one or more of the following factors: inadequate housekeeping conditions, contaminants emitted from sources and activities within the building, poor urban air quality, insufficient ventilation, and biological contamination attributable to deficient moisture control. By the same token, inadequate control of temperature, humidity, and lighting, or excess of noise, occupant density, job dissatisfaction, lack of personal privacy and control over the environment can also commonly increase or add to the stress that occupants experience in a particular environment.
Useful Links:
California department of health services - http://www.cal-iaq.org/
EPA: Environmental Protection Agency - http://www.epa.gov/iaq/
NIOSH: The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health - http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/airpollution/mold/default.htm
International Society of Indoor Air Quality and Climate - http://www.ie.dtu.dk/isiaq/
WHO: World Health Organization - http://www.who.int/en/
The Finnish mold program - http://www.ktl.fi./sytty
The Danish mold program - http://www.dbur.dk/english/
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