LECTURE

LOGO 3-1

Sick building, global

challenges and
sustainable building

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 Contents

1 Sick Buildings

2 Global Challenges

3 Green Buildings

4 Sustainable Building

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 Sick Buildings

Sick building
Introduction
& Definition Sick building
effects

Sub contents
Sick building
solution

Building at
Sick building risk
causes

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 Introduction

your home
could be harming your health

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 Introduction

There are some buildings, especially offices,

where the occupants appear to suffer ill health
more often than might reasonably be expected.

These ‘sick building’ illnesses have no readily

identifiable cause. Some illnesses, such as
Legionnaires’ disease, which can be traced to a
particular cause are not strictly sick building
illnesses.

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 Introduction

Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) is the most

commonly used term for the phenomenon and is
recognised by the World Health Authority.

 Other terms found in use include: Building

Related Illness (BRI); Tight Building Syndrome
(TBS); office eye syndrome and others.

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 Introduction

 The term "sick building syndrome" (SBS) is used to

describe situations in which building occupants
experience acute health and comfort effects that appear
to be linked to time spent in a building, but  no specific
illness or cause can be identified. The complaints may be
localized in a particular room or zone, or may be
widespread throughout the building.

 In contrast, the term "building related illness" (BRI) is

used when symptoms of diagnosable illness are
identified and can be attributed directly to airborne
building contaminants.
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 Introduction

It has been suggested that up to 30% of

new and refurbished buildings have given
rise to complaints of sick building illness
(McMullan 1998).

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 Sick Building Syndrome
Modern Day Dilemma
Sick Building Syndrome - It's a modern
day disease of our air tight energy
efficient homes and the stagnant
chemical or biological pollutant filled air
that may consequently accumulate
indoors.

No one is immune to poor indoor air

quality.

That new home smell of paint,

carpet, and particle board is as bad
or worse for you as is that new car
smell.

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 Sick Building Syndrome
Modern Day Dilemma

According ASHRAE, a building

is deemed "sick" when 20% or
of the building occupants,
voluntarily complain of
discomfort symptoms for
periods exceeding two weeks,
and affected occupants observe
rapid relief away from the
building.

*American Standards for Heating, Refrigeration, and Air-

Conditioning Engineers

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 Definition

Sick building syndrome describes a range of

health problems that can occur through
exposure to the pollutants inside a home,
office or other building.

Sick building syndrome is usually related to

poor indoor air quality, and can be caused by
mold, radon, smoke or any number of
chemical pollutants.

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 Definition

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Source: B.D. Ilozor, G.J. Treloar, P.O. Olomolaiye, M.I. Okoroh (2001) ISSN 0263-2772
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SICK BUILDING
EFFECTS
The illnesses related to
sick building syndrome
generate the following
types of symptoms:

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 Sick building effects

The illnesses related to sick building syndrome generate the

following types of symptoms:

Symptoms of Sick
Building Syndrome

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 Symptoms of Sick Building
Syndrome
Eye, nose and throat irritations

Dryness of throat, nose and skin

The illness Breathing difficulties and chest tightness

related to
sick building
syndrome Breathing difficulties and chest tightness
generate the
following
types of Headaches, nausea, dizziness
symptoms:

Skin rashes

Aching muscles and ‘flu-like symptoms

Source: McMullan (1998)

 Sick building effects

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Symptoms of Sick Building Syndrome:
1. Cold or flu / influenza type symptoms which lessen or disappear when
people are away from the building.
2. Breathing problems, including sore throats, persistent dry coughs,
bronchitis, pneumonia, blocked noses, and sinusitis.
3. Eyes irritations.
4. Skin problems / itchy skin.
5. Muscular and joint problems, especially stiff shoulders and back ache.
6. Neurological problems, such as tiredness, headaches, dizziness, and
digestion disorders (IBS / Irritable Bowel Syndrome), nausea, fatigue,
lethargy, difficulty in concentrating, sensitivity to odor, especially to
malodors.
7. Stress.

These symptoms disappear soon after the occupants go

outside the building, but will re-occur if they go back into
the building. Sick Building Syndrome can be acute and
temporary,
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typically dissipating within 6 months. BCM 513
 Symptoms of Sick Building
Syndrome

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 How badly are
people affected by
SBS?

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 How badly are people affected by
SBS?
Indoor Air Quality: Otherwise known as the IAQ for short.
Some Indoor air topics include asthma, mold, and radon.

Asthma is a disease that affects approximately 20 million

americans. Over 6.3 million of those are children. Since 1980,
the biggest growth in asthma cases has been in children
under five.

In 200 there were nearly 2 million emergency room visits and

nearly half a million hospitalizations due to asthma, at a cost
of almost $2 billion, and causing 14 million school days
missed each year. (Environmental Protection Agency).
Source: American National Standards Institute's Construction Standards Management Board was renewed
in the 1970s (Building Code Committee of the Department of Commerce).
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 Sick building effects

Whatever the causes, a sick building

results in absenteeism among staff and
lower productivity while they are at work.
Sick building syndrome also cost money
by loss of profit, by bad publicity and, in
the extreme, by closure of a building.

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 Sick building effects
This wide range of symptoms includes illness
which most people occasionally suffer while at
home or at work so investigations are difficult.

How Can I Know if a Health Reaction is Due to a Sick Building ?

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 How Can I Know if a Health Reaction is
Due to a Sick Building ?

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 How Can I Know if a Health
Reaction is Due to a Sick Building?
The following list can be used as a guide to help you
determine if you have a potential outbreak of “sick building
syndrome”:
 Symptoms are widespread among building occupants.
 The symptoms disappear when people leave the building
for long periods of time (e.g., weekends).
 The onset of the symptoms is sudden.
 Persons with allergies, asthma or chemical sensitivities
have reactions indoors but not when they are outside.
 A doctor has found a building occupant has an indoor air-
related illness

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 How Can I Know if a Health Reaction is
Due to a Sick Building ?
There are two components to identifying a sick building.

The first is that the reactions or types of reactions are shared

by several or many of the people who also inhabit the building.

The second is that the reactions are triggered when in the

building and are not triggered when not in the building.

Individuals, however, may have greater sensitivities to some

stimuli than do other people. For these individuals, something or
things in the building may be triggering a reaction, but the
building may not be "sick." This is often the case when a certain
office or part of a building is rehabbed or reconfigured and
decorated. That particular area of the building may
create reactions in individuals, but the building itself is not
problematic.
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 Building at Risk

 Despite the difficulties of investigating sick buildings

syndrome, the following features have been identified as
common to many sick buildings:
 Forced ventilation, including mechanical ventilation and
air conditioning
 Windows and other opening sealed for energy efficiency
 Lightweight construction
 Carpets and other textiles used on indoor surfaces
 Warm and uniform environments.
(McMullan, 1998).

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 Sick Building Causes

Physical Comfort Conditions The following list of

factors which
contribute to sick
building syndrome
Chemical Pollutants
have been arranged
in three general
headings of:
Microbial

(McMullan, 1998).

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 Sick Building Causes
Diagram
Physical comfort
conditions
•Uncomfortable temperature
•Low humidity
•Low air movement and ‘stuffiness’
•Low ventilation rates
•Insufficient negative air ions
•Unsuitable lighting and decoration
•Low daylight levels
•Electromagnetic radiation from
electrical services and appliances
•Low morale and general
dissatisfaction
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Chemical pollutants
Cigarette smoke
Formaldehyde vapour from furniture, particle boards
Organic vapour from adhesives, paints & cleaners
Radon decay products from granite stone and
aggregates
Ozone gas from photocopiers, laser printers and
high-voltage sources
Microbial
Airborne micro-organisms from bacteria and fungi in
air conditioning systems
Micro-organisms in drinking water and vending
machines
Micro-organisms in carpets, fabrics and pot plants
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 Sick building Causes
Sick Building Syndrome is caused by Volitile organic compounds
(VOCs) used in the construction of buildings.
According to the EPA:
"Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are emitted as gases
from certain solids or liquids. VOCs include a variety of
chemicals, some of which may have short- and long-term
adverse health effects.

Concentrations of many VOCs are consistently higher

indoors (up to ten times higher) than outdoors. VOCs are
emitted by a wide array of products numbering in the
thousands. Examples include: paints and lacquers, paint
strippers, cleaning supplies, pesticides, building materials
and furnishings.”

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 Sick building Causes

Organic chemicals are widely used as ingredients in

household products. Paints, varnishes, and wax all contain
organic solvents, as do many cleaning, disinfecting, cosmetic,
degreasing, and hobby products.

Fuels are made up of organic chemicals. All of these products

can release organic compounds while you are using them,
and, to some degree, when they are stored.

Benzene is one of the main toxic ingredients in cigarettes. A

baby crawling on a newly carpeted floor could be breathing in
the benzene levels equivalent of smoking 5 cigarettes per day.

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 Sick building Causes

It was also found problems in the

environment of chemical and biological
substances such as bacteria, virus and
grain dust have different effects on
disease buildings.

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 How our time is spent
- indoor ?
- outdoor ?

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 How our time is spent

People spend most of their time

indoors with some estimates being
that humans spend more than 90%
of their lives inside constructed
environments.

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 How our time
is spent

Source: San Marco USA, Statistics USA

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zainab m. zainordin BCM 513
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 Fungi

Mold pollution is the growth of

molds in a building resulting in
damage to or the destruction
of the structure itself (or its
contents) and adverse health
effects on the building's
occupants.

Molds, also known as fungi.

Mold pollution in buildings may

result in adverse health effects
A toxic mold danger found in many homes… including infections, allergies,
and asthma.

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 Indoor Air pollution

Ozone, carbon
black, VOC’s

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zainab m. zainordin BCM 513
Illustration of Sick Building Syndrome

1. Synthetic Insulation
2. Poor Air Circulation
3. Lack of Fresh Air
4. Smoke
5. Paint Fumes
6. Dustmites
7. Synthetic Carpet Outgassing
8. Pet Dander
9. Toxic Household Cleaners
10.Fabric Outgassing
11.Natural Gas/CO2
12.Construction Materials
13.Bacteria From Toilet Bowl
14.Mold & Mildew
15.Lead or Toxic Paint
16.Carbon Monoxide
17.Oil & Gas Fumes

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Killing black mold in
HVAC System

Killing black mold in HVAC System

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 Home Cut-away with
Chemical Sources
Some Volatile Organic
Compounds (VOCs) found in
homes, and where
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 Sick building solutions

It is a joke?

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 Sick building solutions

The previous list of possible causes of sick building

illnesses highlight the fact that is not possible to identify
single factors and therefore, there is no single cure. Of the
physical causes, poor air quality and dirty machinery are
common.

The whole problem of sick buildings centres around human

beings and the study of the people concerned is as
important as the surroundings.

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 Sick building solutions
The following general guidelines will help to eliminate the various
causes which give rise to poor environments within buildings:

Sick building
solutions These measures must
Good
be directed towards
Design
creating a healthy and
pleasant working
Good environment for the
Installation occupants of a building
and these occupants
Constant need to feel involved in
maintenance the creation and control
of their environment.
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 Solution
The nature of Sick Building Syndrome means is not one particular cause, and therefore no simple single
solution.

Since some individuals may experience symptoms of Sick Building Syndrome, while other workers don’t,
they may not associate their illness with their workplace, only by looking at the whole picture, throughout the
building, if more than 20% of the total workers suffer from the same illness symptoms, can Sick Building
Syndrome be identified.

Management must therefore monitor the office environment and sickness records to ensure that any
solutions they come up with are working.

Surveying the workforce is a good means of obtaining information and raising awareness amongst
the staff. If the survey shows that a significant proportion of staff are experiencing the range of symptoms
discussed, there is then the evidence to get management to do a full workplace inspection looking at areas
which may be causing the problem such as: indoor air quality, temperature, lighting, humidity, ventilation,
cleaning, and maintenance.

Sick Building Syndrome would not be a problem if the architects and the designers of the new office building
took into account the needs of workers when designing buildings.

Good air conditioning, including a proper maintenance, redesigning workplaces, replacing old office
equipments (photocopier, laser jet printer), replacing florescent lighting, can help overcome Sick Building
Syndrome problems..

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 Prevention and correction
1. Troubleshoot aircraft systems, system Heat Ventilation Air
Condition (HVAC), cleaning the filter, such as ceiling and
carpet.

2. A decisive measures on smoking, the use of color, glue

solvents and pesticides to the area is well ventilated.

3. Equipment related to cleaning the air. But sometimes

because of the limited use

4. To provide training and interpersonal communication, project

management is critical to the quality of indoor air.

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 How to Avoid Sick Building
Syndrome
In general, ensuring your office is kept clean and well ventilated
should ensure a healthy work environment.

To avoid
i. Increase Air Ventilation by opening windows or installing air
conditioning
ii. Ensure office areas are kept clean and is professionally
cleaned regularly
iii. Select cleaning products carefully to avoid contamination
iv. Ensure all areas of the building including the attic and
basements are kept mould free
v. Use paints and adhesives in a well ventilated area
vi. Replace water stained ceiling tiles and carpets

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 Solution
Some things you can do to reduce the impact of VOCs:

--Store cleaning supplies and other chemicals in airtight

containers and outside the home whenever possible.
--Avoid inhaling toxins when cleaning. Be sure you have
ample ventilation and don’t hesitate to wear a mask.
--Use non-toxic household cleaning supplies.
--Look for suppliers of non-toxic products, such as paints and
other building materials.

Educating children about VOCs is an important primary step

to curing Sick Building Syndrome.

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 Solution

Using the Green Movement to teach

children to care about their world
(indoors and out), will bring fresh ideas
and passion over the coming years to
keep the building materials industry
moving in a healthier direction.

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 GLOBAL
CHALLENGES

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 Global Challenges

The idea of energy efficient, healthy buildings

has been around for a long time, so why is it
just now that the concept of “green” or
“sustainable” building is entering the
mainstream and catching the attention…

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 Global Challenges
There are probably several reasons;

Global Warming,
rising energy costs,
the growing awareness and
liability costs associated with “Sick Building
Syndrome”,
declining oil reserves, and
concerns about our limited water supply.

The list goes on, but whatever the reason or

reasons, sustainable building is a concept whose
time has come.

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 Global Challenges

Global challenges of climate change and excess CO2 in

our atmosphere have made us aware of the benefits of
plants on air quality.

A tropical rain forest is often referred to as ‘lungs of the

earth’, as the trees and plants help to filter so much carbon
from the environment.

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 Global Challenges
Not as well-known to our population is the fact that indoor air
pollution is an increasingly becoming an issue as well.

Many new air tight, energy- efficient buildings, as well as older

buildings, often do not consider indoor air quality.

According to a report by The National Institute of Standards

and Technology;
“Well-established, serious health impacts resulting from poor IAQ include Legionnaires’
disease, lung cancer from radon exposure, and carbon monoxide poisoning. More
widespread health impacts include increased allergy and asthma from exposure to
indoor pollutants (particularly those associated with building dampness and mold), colds
and other infectious diseases that are transmitted through the air (ASHRAE 2009), and
“sick building syndrome” symptoms due to elevated indoor pollutant levels as well as
other indoor environmental conditions (ASHRAE 2009).“
written by A.K. Persily and S. Emmerich in 2010.

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 HOW CAN WE DEAL WITH AN
ISSUE LIKE THIS?
May be  a pretty great solution, have your walls breathe!

‘create indoors what nature does best outdoors purifying and regenerating our
living environment’.

Take a look at some of the beautiful walls they have created:

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 BREATHING WALL

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 SUSTAINABLE
BUILDING

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LECTURE
LOGO 3(cont’d)

See you next week

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