You’ve probably heard of Sick Building Syndrome. Sick buildings are one of the many reasons that the environmental testing services offered by AirMD – including VOC testing, formaldehyde testing and mold testing as well as asbestos inspections – are in such demand by businesses from Boca Raton and Miami to Orlando and Jacksonville.

If you’ve ever had the misfortune of working in a sick building, you know all too well how it makes you feel, but you probably don’t know why the building made you feel that way. (If you haven’t had the experience – trust us, you don’t want to.) That’s part of the problem with Sick Building Syndrome – no one is able to identify exactly what causes it.

What Makes a Building Sick?

Sick Building Syndrome is a relatively recent addition to the world of illness and disease. The problem began when we stopped opening the windows in the buildings where we live, work, shop and go to school. During the energy crisis of the 1970s, in an effort to save on energy consumption, new construction featured virtually air-tight environments.

What seemed like a good idea at the time had unintended consequences. Unfortunately, in addition to keeping air-conditioned or heated air in, these buttoned-up buildings can also trap a number of airborne contaminants.

As Occupational Health & Safety magazine explains, “Many paints, carpet fibers, furniture, and even wallboard off-gas noxious fumes, sometimes for years after installation. These products may emit formaldehyde, acetic acid, or volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other chemicals. Modern office equipment such as copiers and electrostatic air cleaners add to the problem by adding ozone to the mix. Mold or mildew from damp conditions also create air quality problems. Manufacturing processes and material-handling equipment may add hydrocarbons or smog, and many chemical cleaning agents give off harmful vapors. The result is a chemical stew in the air that makes people ill—with sick building syndrome.”

Symptoms of Sick Building Syndrome

A long list of symptoms can be associated with Sick Building Syndrome, including but not limited to:

• Nasal congestion 
• Itchy eyes
• Headaches 
• Sinus infections
• Shortness of breath
• Nosebleeds
• Chronic fatigue 
• Mental fogginess
• Scratchy throat 
• Dry, irritated skin
• Upset stomach

How do you know if you have Sick Building Syndrome? Do you start to feel better on vacation or even over a long weekend? As WebMD says, “The telling factor is if the symptoms ease when workers are at home or on vacation.

Is It Time for Formaldehyde Testing in your Workplace?

According to an article by Sumedha M. Joshi in the Indian Journal of Occupational & Environmental Medicine, “The sick building syndrome (SBS) is used to describe a situation in which the occupants of a building experience acute health- or comfort-related effects that seem to be linked directly to the time spent in the building. No specific illness or cause can be identified. The complainants may be localized in a particular room or zone or may be widespread throughout the building.”

“This feeling of ill health increases sickness absenteeism and causes a decrease in productivity of the workers. As this syndrome is increasingly becoming a major occupational hazard, the cause, management and prevention of this condition have been discussed in this article.”

If you aren’t the only one suffering from similar symptoms or if you notice increased rates of absenteeism, you may want to consider indoor air quality testing.

If you have questions about Sick Building Syndrome, please remember that the scientists at Boca Raton-based AirMD, a leader in VOC testing, asbestos inspections and formaldehyde testing as well as mold testing and remediation., are available to assist you.

The post Indoor Air Quality and Sick Building Syndrome appeared first on Air Quality Testing by AirMD Since 2007.

The experts at AirMD who conduct mold and asbestos inspections as well as formaldehyde and VOC testing aren’t the only one who are concerned about the quality of the air in your home and your office.

When you think about what kind of environment the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) protects, you’re probably thinking about rivers contaminated by toxic runoff or superfund sites, like the Davie landfill in Broward County, where inorganic compounds, heavy metals and VOCs had contaminated the soil and groundwater. You might be surprised to learn that the EPA also keeps an eye on the quality of the air inside your home, your office, your kids’ school as well as the places where you shop and other buildings.

The EPA and Indoor Air Quality

Why would the EPA be concerned about the quality of the air in our homes, schools and shopping centers as well as our places of employment?

The agency reports that, “Americans, on average, spend approximately 90 percent of their time indoors,¹ where the concentrations of some pollutants are often 2 to 5 times higher than typical outdoor concentrations.²”

Obviously, if there’s something wrong with the air we breathe 90 percent of the time, it’s going to have serious impacts on the public’s health. The EPA is also concerned because:

• People who are often most susceptible to the adverse effects of pollution (e.g., the very young, older adults, people with cardiovascular or respiratory disease) tend to spend even more time indoors.³
• Indoor concentrations of some pollutants have increased in recent decades due to such factors as energy-efficient building construction (when it lacks sufficient mechanical ventilation to ensure adequate air exchange) and increased use of synthetic building materials, furnishings, personal care products, pesticides, and household cleaners.

Threats to Indoor Air Quality

According to the EPA, the pollutants we should be concerned about include:

• Combustion byproducts such as carbon monoxide, particulate matter, and environmental tobacco smoke.
• Substances of natural origin such as radon, pet dander, and mold.
• Biological agents such as molds.
• Pesticides, lead, and asbestos.
• Ozone (from some air cleaners).
• Various volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from a variety of products and materials.

What to Watch For

According to the EPA, the following symptoms can all be associated with indoor air pollutants:

• Irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat.
• Headaches, dizziness, and fatigue.
• Respiratory diseases, heart disease, and cancer.

If you or your family have experienced any of these health issue and you’re concerned about the quality of the air in your home or workplace, contact AirMD, a leader in VOC testing, asbestos inspections and formaldehyde testing as well as mold testing and remediation.

The post EPA Reports on Indoor Air Quality appeared first on Air Quality Testing by AirMD Since 2007.