Could the flu epidemic culprit be the Sick Building Syndrome?

What is "sick building syndrome"?

How is it related to the air we breathe? Could it offer an explanation for the discomforts and flu-like symptoms that have recently afflicted school children in Metro Manila, a metropolis now struggling with pollution problems?

Sick Building Syndrome is a situation in which building occupants experience acute health effects linked to the amount of time they spend in a polluted building.

The symptoms include one or a combination of the following: headaches, eye, nose and throat irritation, dry cough, fever, chills, chest tightness, muscle aches, dry or itchy skin, dizziness and nausea, difficulty in concentrating, fatigue and sensitivity to odors.

Ten years ago, no one would have guessed such symptoms could be caused by seemingly harmless building interiors. Now, doctors and environmentalists have verified that buildings can make people ill. A conference on the office environment in Washington DC in 1982 referred to Sick Building Syndrome as an epidemic. Now, the World Health Organization recognizes it as an illness.

Sick Building Syndrome is often derived from ventilation in air-conditioned buildings. Environmental health experts blame fungi, microbes and dust mites in the air conditioning, as well as chemicals called biocides that are used in the humidifier system to kill off bugs. Modern buildings and furnishings such as clipboard partitions as well as cleaning agents and commercial solvents, including chloroform or carpet adhesives can give off harmful vapors.

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Sick Building Syndrome is an indication that outdoor air pollution has become so grave that pollutants can already seep into air vents from the outside. Indoor air pollution – produced by bacteria, dust mites, pollen, molds and allergens – also contributes to the situation.

What is interesting to note is that people can get more sick with indoor air pollution than with outdoor pollution. Unlike outdoor air pollution where pollutants are spread over an infinitely wider area, the pollution indoors is concentrated and trapped within the confined space. Improper ventilation makes indoor air pollution two to five times higher.

The National Education Association (NEA) of the US says schools have several unique features that make them more vulnerable to significant indoor air quality (IAQ) problems. One is the age of the buildings, the lack of money for renovation and maintenance, and overcrowding.

The NEA cites that almost one-fifth of Americans spend their days in school. A typical school has four times as many occupants per square foot as an office building. Increased student populations result in overcrowding, while ventilation systems have not been designed to accommodate the high numbers of people occupying the building.

Children in particular are affected by poor indoor air quality. Children’s respiratory systems are still developing, making them more susceptible to indoor air contaminants. They have higher respiration rates in adults, causing them to inhale more air contaminants than adults do.

The American Lung Association has thus recommended that indoor air be controlled and protected for respiratory health through the use of high-efficiency filters. 3M’s Filtrete aircon filter, for example, can be attached to the original screen mesh filter of the air conditioner. The high efficiency filter’s electrostatically charged fibers attract and trap airborne dust, bacteria and other allergy-causing particles and prevent them from re-circulating in the air.

According to EPA, the Sick Building Syndrome can be solved by increasing the ventilation rates and air distribution in a building. Air-conditioning systems should meet ventilation standards in local building codes.

Removal of the pollutant source via routine maintenance of air conditioners, smoking bans, proper storage or disposal of paints, solvents, pesticides and other toxic matter will also help.

Ideally, the solution should be to lessen the pollution from outside by limiting smoke belching, factory smoke and construction dust. Inside, the use of high-efficiency filters on existing air conditioners can be a real salvation.

Ultimately, an information campaign about Sick Building Syndrome will be most helpful. Knowledge and awareness about what makes people sick in seemingly harmless surroundings can make them arm themselves better against a silent, lurking enemy. Knowledge is power, indeed. For more information about healthy indoor air, call 813-37-81 or visit www.3m.com/ph and wwww.lungusa.org.