Sick Building Research Articles

Architectural Harmony with Nature

Architectural harmony with nature is a reform that addresses problems such as inadequate green spaces for different age groups and between buildings. With increasing population, these issues must be addressed during design. Istanbul's green spaces positively impacted residents, especially children and youth. Sustainable design, however, faces challenges such as sick buildings. By incorporating green spaces into urban design, we can improve our lives and contribute to a more harmonious environment

Towards A Design Approach to Achieve Environmental Safety in Diagnostic and Therapeutic Units in Hospitals Using Nanotechnology

In The environmental safety was investigated in this study, with an initial focus on defining the general concept of environmental safety. Subsequently, the study delved into the environmental safety within hospitals, particularly in diagnostic and treatment spaces. Air pollutants and their types were examined, along with permissible levels, emphasizing the adverse effects of increased pollutants on human health. Additionally, attention was given to the physical hazards within these spaces, such as temperature, noise, and lighting. In the context of studying diagnostic and treatment spaces in hospitals, a review was conducted on the currently used traditional finishing materials and an evaluation of their harmful effects. The concept of "sick buildings" and its impact on human safety was also explored. The study placed a particular emphasis on nanotechnology and how nano-materials can be employed to mitigate the detrimental effects of non-compliant "sick buildings" with environmental safety standards. Global examples of nano-applications were analyzed, along with an examination of a hospital in Egypt that utilizes nano-technology in its glass structure. Furthermore, a simulation was performed on a local hospital to measure the difference in carbon dioxide emission within the space. This comparison was conducted between the current state of the building using traditional finishing materials and the scenario where nano-alternatives are employed in the glass and thermal insulation of exterior walls.

AGE AND GENDER-SPECIFIC FEATURES OF CYTOGENETIC CHANGES IN BUCCAL EPITHELIUM IN INDIVIDUALS RESIDING IN THE «SICK BUILDING»

The aim: The study of cytomorphological and cytogenetic features of the buccal epithelium of residents of apartments who complained of unpleasant odors in their homes. Materials and methods: The state of buccal epithelium in residents of multi-story buildings was studied. A total of 237 individuals were examined, 117 males and 120 females, aged from 6 to 81 years. Buccal cells were collected using a sterile spatula and stained with a 2.5% solutionofaceto-orcein and 1% light green. The preparations were examined using a light microscope OPTON Axioskop (Germany) with oil immersion at a magnification of x1000. Statistical processing of the data was performed using IBMSPSS Statistics 29.0.0.0 (t-Student criterion; Mann-Whitney; ANOVA: Tukey; T3-Dunnett), with p≤0.05. Results: Cytomorphological and cytogenetic abnormalities, compared to physiological limits, were mainly manifested as karyorrhexis, nuclear doubling, the appearance of epitheliocytes with perinuclear vacuoles, or nuclear vacuolization. The frequency of micronuclei was observed in the range of (0.3-2.8 ‰). The highest micronucleus index (per 1000 cells, ‰) was observed among males aged 15-39 years and females over 65 years old. In both sexes, the lowest micronucleus indices were found in the age group of 6-14 years. Conclusions: in the «sick building» an increase in the frequency of micronucleus occurrence among males and females was observed simultaneously with increasing age.

Microclimate in Buildings and the Quality of Life in the Context of Architectural Design

Consumer lifestyle, caused by the dynamic development of the economy, affects the development of the built environment. More and more buildings are created with different functions absorbing significant amounts of energy both during the implementation or operation. They have an increasing impact on the environment. Despite the fact that the paradigm of sustainable development determines the attitude on the demand side, quite frequently public utilities are implemented as if separated from the broader context, as “icons” of architecture. The foregoing often has a negative impact on the quality of the natural environment as well as on the quality of life and health of the users. Such objects can be realistically sustainable, yet they require the implementation of the concept of the built environment resulting from the principles of sustainable development, i.e. in which all of the components, including architectural substance, technical infrastructure, biologically active areas (acting multi-layered structure) are characterized by high environmental performance and provide users with the proper conditions for life and work. They should also assist human development across the complexity of existence, giving the possibility of implementing the needs of individual users while at the same time over-running the development of the entire community both now and in the future. For this reason, it becomes necessary to ensure the healthy and eco-friendly built environment for users. The field of research described in the article includes the methods of shaping the microclimate in an efficient manner in the architectural objects enabling the avoidance of “sick buildings” syndrome risk and the implementation the high-quality environment for the users spending more and more time in them. The objective, in the context of architectural design, is to present the relationships between technological systems and architecture while attempting to optimize solutions.

Living Envelopes for Buildings – A Historic Parallel

According to Daniel Libeskind ‘Architecture is not based on concrete and steel and the elements of the soil. It’s based on wonder.’ A building is a sculpture at a territorial scale. Integrated in the environment it may bring added value to the landscape (as in the case of the Sydney Opera House that became not only the symbol of the city but also of Australia). In a dry definition, a building is a plant: it shelters scheduled activities and interacts with the natural and built environment in a manner that led to comparisons with the medical world: we have building pathology, sick buildings, building skin, breathing structures etc. From the architects’ point of view, a building is about space. From the engineers’ point of view, a building is about performances. From the users’ point of view, a building is about well-being (which is an immaterial notion). The building envelope has always been somewhere between material and immaterial: a combination of fashion and technology. In the past decades it has been analysed according to the essential requirements and classified in types and categories. As the necessity of preserving the planets’ resources increases, the need to impose new requirements on the buildings increases as well as, according to modern researches, the most important energy consumers are the buildings and their users. In this context, the building envelope gains some new responsibilities and roles:- to save energy, to produce and (when appropriate) to harvest energy;- to diminish the type and amount of urban pollutants and to restore the quality of the microclimate of the environmentStrange as it may seem, current trends in architecture turn to perennial principles of design that have always been taken into consideration in the traditional architecture or throughout history. Living envelope systems are in fashion, as the benefits of plants spin from providing better air quality by decreasing heat island effects to providing food in urban farms and from saving energy in buildings to preserving the natural environment. Buildings designed with living envelopes are millenary solutions. The paper focuses on making a parallel between contemporary architectural approaches and historic approaches regarding the building envelope.

Forecasting the environmental effects of air pollution with landfill gas in residential areas

In the article the prediction of ecological consequences of contamination of components of the landfill gas air to a residential building, located on the territory close to the landfill. A method for calculating the dispersion of landfill gas taking into account the influence of the building, based on the numerical solution of differential equations, heat transfer, Reynolds, exponential distribution, supplemented by corresponding models of turbulence, initial and boundary conditions. The technique allows to take into account the spatial heterogeneity of landfills and rolling pins as the source of the pollutant, as well as the process of penetration of polluted air into the interference. Performed software implementation and verification of the method on the example of the range “Novoselki” (Saint Petersburg) and the adjacent warehouse buildings and residential complex for the most unfavourable wind conditions taking into account the averaging over time. The ecological and toxicological analysis of landfill gas taking into account its main components, and also the analysis of carcinogenic and noncarcinogenic risk at chronic influence on the abstract person living in the room in which the air polluted by landfill gas penetrates is carried out. The results can be used to determine the amount of maximum permissible emissions of landfill gas components, the scale moat sanitary protection zones of landfills and dumps, detecting the identification of the most polluted places on the street and indoors, the health risk assessment of residents as a result of chronic action of toxic substances, the syndrome of “sick building” caused by penetration of contaminated air into the room through openings in the walling, the solution of applied problems of ecological safety of construction, housing and communal services and public health.

A critical analysis of one standard and five methods to monitor surface wetness and time-of-wetness

Surface wetness is a synergistic factor to determine atmospheric corrosion, monument weathering, mould growth, sick buildings, etc. However, its detection and monitoring are neither easy nor homogeneous, for a number of factors that may affect readings. Various types of methods and sensors, either commercial or prototypes built in the lab, have been investigated and compared, i.e. the international standard ISO 9223 to evaluate corrosivity after wetness and time-of-wetness; indirect evaluation of wetness, based on the dew point calculated after the output of temperature and relative humidity sensors and direct measurements by means of capacitive wetness sensors, safety sensors, rain sensors (also known as leaf wetness sensors), infrared reflection sensors and fibre optic sensors. A comparison between the different methods is presented, specifying physical principles, forms of wetting to which they are respondent (i.e. condensation, ice melting, splashing drops, percolation and capillary rise), critical factors, use and cost.

Outbreak of eczema and rhinitis in a group of office workers in Greenland

IntroductionDisturbed indoor climate may in some cases be associated with illness. In the present paper, we report the results from a thorough investigation of office workers in Greenland, who developed skin and/or airway problems after moving into renewed offices.Material and methodsIn 2009 the office of the Bank of Greenland had a total renovation of the building, including new furniture and carpets. Symptoms developed within the first year after moving back into the renewed buildings. After removal of carpets in the building, symptoms significantly improved. Workers were examined in 2009 and re-examined in 2013, including clinical examination, patch test and when relevant also skin prick tests and histamine release test. Isothiazolinones and fumarates, both able to cause airway as well as skin symptoms, were isolated from carpets before testing, and included in the test series.ResultsIn total, 32 out of 80 workers (40%) developed symptoms; 27 reported eczema, 20 rhinitis and 4 urticaria. Eczema was located on the hands and/or lower arms in 18 workers, on the face in 10 workers and on legs/trunk in 12 workers. After intervention in the office, 22 workers with eczema reported significant improvement, all cases of hand eczema cleared and 16 workers with rhinitis also improved. Positive patch tests to carpet extracts were found significantly more frequent in the worker cohort than in a control group comprising 47 dermatitis patients (p<0.001). Only few workers reacted with a positive response to skin prick test or in the HR test, no obvious pattern in reactions was found, and no conclusions can be made from these reactions.ConclusionThe results indicate that the reported symptoms are related to exposures from the building after renovation in 2009. A specific triggering exposure could not be identified, although chemicals from the glued carpets are suspected. The study is an example of a work place investigation, and illustrates the diversity of symptoms and exposures involved in “Sick Building” cases.

C-Reactive Protein Levels in Pregnancy

van den Hooven et al. (2012) found a nonsignificant association between high levels of maternal and fetal C-reactive protein (CRP) and exposure to air pollution when they examined the correlation of CRP levels with inflammation and obstetric morbidity. The authors reported that elevated fetal CRP levels at delivery were associated with higher long-term average maternal exposure to PM10 (particulate matter ≤ 10 µm in aerodynamic diameter) and NO2 (nitrogen dioxide). Other studies have reported that neither preeclampsia (Kristensen et al. 2009) nor pregnancy loss (Boggess et al. 2005) is associated with a systemic inflammation as reflected by CRP levels. However, van den Hooven et al. (2012) insisted that exposure to air pollution may lead to systemic inflammation in pregnancy. Although this statement is defensible, the confounding results regarding CRP levels should be clarified. CRP is accepted as a good marker of acute inflammation, particularly within infection, but its value in chronic inflammation depends on the inflammation pathway involved and the underlying process. In an examination of autoimmune inflammatory responses triggered by the indoor environment in sick buildings, CRP was < 0.1 mg/dL (normal range, 0.1–0.5 mg/dL) in 27% of patients (Blasco 2011). Interestingly, 13% of patients had suffered miscarriages. CRP may be low or typically very low during a flare-up of some connective tissue disorders, such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) or undifferentiated connective tissue disease. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate more accurately reflects SLE disease activity in patients without associated infection. Therefore, the presence of normal or low CRP levels does not guarantee the absence of inflammation or a positive pregnancy outcome. It would be interesting to assess possible individual immune susceptibility markers and other markers, such as autoantibodies or tumor necrosis factor α, in future studies of systemic inflammation induced by air pollutants during pregnancy.

Incidence and remediation of fungi in a sick building in Malaysia: a case study

Problems caused by indoor microbial, especially fungal growth, have been further exaggerated by the increased incidence of water intrusions, condensation from air-conditioning system, and other factors. While fungal contamination in a building can be one of the indicators of indoor air quality (IAQ), air quality assessment and remediation should be considered as important and should be carried out systematically. This study reports the incidence and remediation of an excessive fungal growth in a building in Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Pulau Pinang, Malaysia. Acting on an official report by the building owner and occupants, an immediate walk-through investigation was carried out between June and December 2009. A thorough sampling comprising swab and spore impactor techniques showed that the colony-forming unit per cubic meter of air (CFU/m3) levels were far above those in the guidelines of most developed countries. Thus, the building was declared a ‘sick building’ and closed to the publics. However, through immediate action with recommended methods to overcome the problem, the premise has been pronounced safe. This is a good example of successful teamwork that involved a continuous investigation by a team of experts along with comprehensive action taken by the occupants and other authorities responsible for the building.

The influence of individual and contextual psychosocial work factors on the perception of the indoor environment at work: a multilevel analysis

The aim of this study was to investigate the role of the psychosocial work environment--at the individual level as well as the workplace level--in explaining the variability in the employees' perception of the indoor environment. The perception of the indoor environment was surveyed by questionnaires among 3,281 employees in 39 randomly selected workplaces. Multilevel logistic regression analyses included individual-level and workplace-level covariates to examine the effect of context. Associations between psychosocial risk factors at the workplace level and the employees' perception of the indoor environment was calculated as the interval odds ratios while between-workplace variations were quantified by intraclass correlations and median odds ratios. We found moderate differences between the workplaces in the perception of the indoor environment, but large differences between individuals in the same building indicating that some occupants of a building do perceive problems in the indoor environment even in the absence of a general indoor air problem in the workplace. The type of organisation accounted for some of the variation in perceived indoor environment. Psychosocial work environment factors at the individual level, but not at the workplace-level, were associated with the individual perception of the indoor environment. In addition, an increased tendency to report symptoms was strongly associated with complaints about the indoor environment suggesting bias due to a tendency to "over-report". In studies investigating "sick buildings" contextual factors may be important. Multilevel analyses should be used in future research within workplaces where clustering could be expected.

Renovation of a “sick building”: The challenge of attaining the confidence of occupants

This case study focused on the renovation of a building with severe mold and HVAC problems. The users did not trust the success of the planned remedies, and the situation became conflict-prone. The aims of the study were to improve communication and cooperation between experts participating in the renovation process and the future users of the building and monitor the success of the remedies. An intervention was implemented with the aim of making the renovation easily understood by the future users of the building and preventing the escalation of unnecessary concern among them. The follow-up methods comprised a questionnaire study, technical inspections, quality measurements of the indoor air, structural follow-up measurements, and interviews of key persons. The renovation itself seems to have been successful, and the model to improve communication and cooperation appears to be a promising one. The confidence of the future users was attained, and the relocation took place as planned. In order to succeed in the renovation of a "sick building," both technical expertise and investment in information and communication are needed.

On the borderline of “sick” and “healthy” buildings and schools: the concept of sustainability problematised

Indoor air in our homes, workplaces and schools is a global concern, an issue in policy and science, and part of the World Health Organization's programme on environmental awareness. In the present article, the official discourse on sustainable development in Sweden is related to a specific problem of the indoor environment, namely sick-building syndrome (SBS) and the notion of “sick” buildings. This health problem will be analysed here from different perspectives: political, scientific and practical. In the context of sustainable policy, Swedish authorities are taking measures to ensure that citizens can breathe good indoor air in “healthy” buildings. With regard to scientific evidence, SBS is not a clear-cut risk, and there is no known cause–mechanism–effect chain. It is a diffuse risk, and in society, it is also typically associated with social conflicts and mass media interests. In practice, the conflict confirms the difficulties inherent in defining sick and healthy buildings. Different societal interests and different professions are competing with each other to take the upper hand in defining the situation.

Modified analytical procedure for water pipes in “sick buildings”

Modified analytical procedure for water pipes in “sick buildings”

Sick Buildings or Not: Indoor Air Quality and Health Problems in Schools

Poor indoor air in schools has become a wide-spread problem with serious effects on occupant health. Resultant costs can be considerable at both local and national government levels. These include absenteeism and rehabilitation as well as building alterations and even demolition and rebuilding. This project aims to show factors contributing to health problems in Swedish schools. It includes a literature survey and particle measurements taken during various activities. Due to the fact that today there is no standard for indoor air quality (IAQ) in schools, in this project we used the outdoor air surrounding the building as an indicator. Results showed that indoor school environments had high airborne pollution levels, to a degree that probably causes health problems for many people. Regarding IAQ, this project shows the importance of taking into consideration choices in activities and furnishing of the building.

EHPnet: Doctor Fungus

The Doctor Fungus website, located at http://www.doctorfungus.org/, strives to be an online reference source for all things mycological. The nonprofit site is continually revised, updated, and reviewed by an international team of pathologists, mycologists, pharmacologists, and other specialists. Although intended primarily for physicians, the site offers plenty of information for an educated lay audience. The site’s resources are searchable by a number of ways: through topic headings down the middle of the homepage, a toolbar at the top of the homepage, a pull-down menu at the top of the home-page, and a sitewide search engine. The Think You Have a Fungal Infection? section of the site has information on fungal infections in people, animals, and plants, plus a separate section devoted to yeast infections. The human portion has links to information on nine common fungal infections and a section on miscellaneous infections that can be caused by more than one type of fungus. Each disease is defined and described, color images of the fungus are available, and readers can learn about prognosis, therapy, histopathology, and laboratory tests used to confirm the presence of the fungus. Other information includes an overview of the natural habitat of each fungus and susceptibility testing where relevant. Links to other sites with information on the fungus are listed along with access to PubMed for searching for further research articles on the topic. The Think You Have a Sick Building? section offers instructions on how to look for mold in buildings, both on surfaces and in the air. Overviews of the three primary tools for air analysis are provided. Also within this section are pages on mold remediation and lists of frequently asked questions for homeowners and physicians. The Learn About Fungus section has two overviews of mycology, one for the general public and one for those with more extensive scientific expertise. Descriptions of the most prevalent types of fungi are also available in this section. Each description contains links to images and information on susceptibility. Also featured are the taxonomic classification of the fungus selected, information on pathogenicity, clinical significance, and macro- and microscopic features. There is also a page of fungal names and synonyms. The Antifungal Agents section addresses drugs used to treat fungal infections. The Introduction page of this section has links to the six available classes of agents used in treating such infections. A page on antifungal pharmacology discusses the fungal cell structure and targets. Additional pages within this section address nephrotoxicity, drug dosing in renal and liver dysfunction, and drug interactions.

Study on light intensity in the process of photocatalytic degradation of indoor gaseous formaldehyde for saving energy

Abstract The light intensity, one of the most important factors for photocatalysis, directly influences the photocatalytic reaction rate and the utilization ratio of energy. Its rational selection has vital significance for saving energy. In the present paper, light energy losses in the heterogeneous photocatalysis process were analyzed. A method was presented to determine appropriate light intensities for the photocatalytic degradation of indoor gaseous volatile organic compounds (VOCs) based on the degradation mechanism. For simplifying the method, an excess coefficient of light intensity was defined based on the assumption of complete utilization of excited electron–hole pairs. The excess coefficients and the appropriate light intensities for degrading formaldehyde were determined according to the data from a titania-coated glass plate reactor and a titania-coated reticular foam nickel reactor. The results showed that the derived light intensities according to our method were appropriate. Good degradation performance and high utilization ratio of light energy can be attained simultaneously when the excess coefficient was 1.3–1.5 for formaldehyde with the concentration from 20.45 μmol/m3 (0.5 ppm) to 81.8 μmol/m3 (2 ppm), which is the concentration range of formaldehyde in “sick buildings”.

06/01784 Smart glazing solutions to glare and solar gain: a ‘sick building’ case study: James, P. A. B. and Bahaj, A. S. Energy and Buildings, 2005, 37, (10), 1058–1067

06/01784 Smart glazing solutions to glare and solar gain: a ‘sick building’ case study: James, P. A. B. and Bahaj, A. S. Energy and Buildings, 2005, 37, (10), 1058–1067

Nasal effects of a mixture of volatile organic compounds and their ozone oxidation products.

Our objective was to determine if low levels of a mixture of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and their ozone (O3) oxidation products, similar to what might be found in "sick buildings," cause nasal irritation and inflammation under controlled exposure conditions. Healthy, nonsmoking women (n=130) completed 2-hour controlled exposures to VOCs, VOCs and O3, and a masked air "MA" control in random order at least 1 week apart. VOCs and O3 concentrations were approximately 25 mg/m and approximately 40 ppb, respectively. Nasal symptoms were rated before, during, and after exposure. Nasal lavage fluid was analyzed for polymorphonuclear cells, total protein, interleukin-6, and interleukin-8. We found no significant differences in symptoms or markers of nasal inflammation between exposure conditions. Results suggest that VOCs and their oxidation products may not cause acute nasal effects at low concentrations.

Safety and Security of Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)

ABSTRACT Sick buildings throughout the nation have been vacated, demolished, or totally refurbished at costs that often exceed the original cost of the building because of indoor air quality (IAQ) issues. A valuable commercial building in South Florida sits vacant today because it's contaminated with anthrax. New exclusions are appearing on insurance contracts for architects, engineers, and contractors, as well as homeowners—mold, an IAQ issue. IAQ is today becoming one of the biggest concerns of a building's occupants, its owners, and its managers, as well as architects, engineers, and the construction industry. The recent increase in litigation related to mold, an IAQ issue, combined with the September 11th attacks and the bioterrorism events of the following October, has raised the issue of building air quality safety to the highest level. While IAQ and mold issues are today not regulated by governmental agencies, building owners, managers, design professionals, and constructors are being held responsible for the health and safety of the air quality in buildings. Both OSHA and EPA have established guidelines and recommendations related to IAQ issues, and several organizations, including CDC, NIOSH, and USACE, are in the process of developing guidelines for “protecting” a building's indoor air quality. Today, it is absolutely essential that those responsible for buildings take actions to ensure that workplace air quality is maintained so as to be safe and secure from health hazards. Events of 9/11 and the subsequent anthrax incidents, combined with the aging of our buildings and litigation related to mold and other IAQ issues, have made it apparent that the air quality in our buildings is not as safe and secure as it should be. Given the present status of IAQ litigation and the heightened concerns of terrorism and other extreme incidents which could impact a building's air quality, action is required. Unfortunately, while a great deal of attention is being focused on the general infrastructure and responder training since 9/11, little attention is being focused on protection of our workplace's most critical asset—its people and the air they breathe in the workplace. In order to fully address the health and safety of a building's air quality, an indoor or building air quality safety program is required. An IAQ safety program would be expected to provide the engineering controls and systems capable of protecting a building's air quality, in addition to the policies and training procedures of building operators, maintenance personnel, managers, and occupants in maintaining safe air quality in buildings and initiating appropriate response actions to protect occupants in the event of an IAQ incident or threat. This article, while presenting information on addressing the typical issues related to IAQ concerns, discusses protecting the air quality in buildings and developing the safety programs, plans, and procedures along with the engineering controls necessary to help ensure the health and safety of air quality in buildings. The proactive and protective recommendations discussed in this article, starting with the installation of a dedicated outdoor air system designed to pre-condition the fresh air that enters a building, and development of an IAQ safety program can be readily implemented in any C & I facility. The concept of an IAQ safety program is not new. Some forward-thinking organizations have implemented such plans, even though it is not required by regulatory authorities (OSHA, EPA, or AHJs). The IAQ safety program recommended herein is intended to address conventional IAQ issues of mold, ventilation, and contamination, etc., but goes a step further and addresses the vulnerability of the BAQ from unexpected incidents including spills, fires, explosions or chemical, biological, and radiological (CBR) issues which, in our present environment, must be addressed. This article also describes a dedicated outdoor air system intended to function as a BAQ protection system (building air quality protection system) designed to pre-treat all the fresh air to a building and protect a building's air quality from external sources of contamination. The BAQ protection system, a dedicated outdoor air system which functions as an outdoor air pre-treatment system with control dampers and associated interlocks capable of sealing the building's outdoor air ducts for protection, serves to address humidity levels and building pressurization in both new and existing buildings. The BAQ protection system significantly reduces HVAC system energy for both heating and cooling by eliminating the latent (moisture) load from the building's HVAC system. This system has been identified as one of the most promising energy savings technology by USDOE.