Acute Health Effects of Major Indoor Air Contaminants
Employee complaints can be due to two types of building problems: sick or tight building syndrome and building related illnesses.
What is Sick Building Syndrome?
Sick Building Syndrome
Sick building syndrome is a condition associated with complaints of discomfort including:
- headache;
- nausea;
- dizziness;
- dermatitis;
- eye, nose, throat, and respiratory irritation;
- coughing;
- difficulty concentrating;
- sensitivity to odors;
- muscle pain; and
- fatigue.
The symptoms are associated with periods of occupancy and often disappear after the worker leaves the worksite.
The specific causes of the symptoms are often not known but sometimes are attributed to the effects of a combination of substances or individual susceptibility to low concentrations of contaminants. The symptoms are associated with periods of occupancy and often disappear after the worker leaves the worksite.
Building-related Illnesses
Building-related illnesses are those for which there is a clinically defined illness of known etiology and include infections such as legionellosis and allergic reactions such as hypersensitivity diseases and are often documented by physical signs and laboratory findings. A more thorough description of these illnesses can be found in the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) guidelines on evaluating bioaerosols.
Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.
2-3. Which of the following is a condition associated with complaints of discomfort that often disappear after leaving work?
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