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o see if the problems are being experienced by
others and urge that a record of reported health complaints be
kept by management, if one has not already been established.
Talk with your own physician and report your problems to the
company physician, nurse, or health and safety officer.
Call your state or local health department or air pollution
control agency to talk over the symptoms and possible causes.
Encourage building management to obtain a copy of Building Air
Quality: A Guide for Building Owners and Facility Managers.
Building Air Quality (BAQ) is simply written, yet provides
comprehensive information for identifying, correcting, and
preventing indoor air quality problems. BAQ also provides
supporting information such as when and how to select outside
technical assistance, how to communicate with others regarding
indoor air issues, and where to find additional sources of
information. BAQ is available for $24 from U.S. GPO,
Superintendent of Documents, P.O. Box 371954, Pittsburgh, PA
152507954; stock #055000003904.
Frequently, indoor air quality problems in large commercial
buildings cannot be effectively identified or remedied without a
comprehensive building investigation. These investigations may
start with written questionnaires and telephone consultations in
which building investigators assess the history of occupant
symptoms and building operation procedures. In some cases, these
inquiries may quickly uncover the problem and on site visits are
unnecessary.
More often, however, investigators will need to come to the
building to conduct personal interviews with occupants, to look
for possible sources of the problems, and to inspect the design
and operation of the ventilation system and other building
features. Because taking measurements of pollutants at the very
low levels often found in office buildings is expensive and may
not yield information readily useful in identifying problem
sources, investigators may not take many measurements. The
process of solving indoor air quality problems that result in
health and comfort complaints can be a slow one, involving
several trial solutions before successful remedial actions are
identified.
If a professional company is hired to conduct a building
investigation, select a company on the basis of its experience in
identifying and solving indoor air quality problems in
nonindustrial buildings.
Work with others to establish a smoking policy that eliminates
involuntary nonsmoker exposure to environmental tobacco smoke.
GLOSSARY
Acid aerosol
Acidic liquid or solid particles that are small enough to become
airborne. High concentrations of acid aerosols can be irritating
to the lungs and have been associated with some respiratory
diseases, such as asthma.
Animal dander
Tiny scales of animal skin.
Allergen
A substance capable of causing an allergic reaction because of an
individual s sensitivity to that substance.
Allergic rhinitis
Inflammation of the mucous membranes in the nose that is caused
by an allergic reaction.
Building-related illness
A discrete, identifiable disease or illness that can be traced to
a specific pollutant or source within a building. (Contrast with
Sick building syndrome ).
Chemical sensitization
Evidence suggests that some people may develop health problems
characterized by effects such as dizziness, eye and throat
irritation, chest tightness, and nasal congestion that appear
whenever they are exposed to certain chemicals. People may react
to even trace amounts of chemicals to which they have become
sensitized.
Environmental tobacco smoke
Mixture of smoke from the burning end of a cigarette, pipe, or
cigar and smoke exhaled by the smoker (also secondhand smoke or
passive smoking).
Fungi
Any of a group of parasitic lower plants that lack chlorophyll,
including molds and mildews.
Humidifier fever
A respiratory illness caused by exposure to toxins from
microorganisms found in wet or moist areas in humidifiers and air
conditioners. Also called air conditioner or ventilation fever.
Hypersensitivity pneumonitis
A group of respiratory diseases that cause inflammation of the
lung (specifically granulomatous cells). Most forms of
hypersensitivity pneumon-itis are caused by the inhalation of
organic dusts, including molds.
Organic compounds
Chemicals that contain carbon. Volatile organic compounds
vaporize at room temperature and pressure. They are found in
many indoor sources, including many common household products and
building materials.
Picocurie
A unit for measuring radioactivity, often expressed as picocuries
per liter of air.
Pressed wood products
A group of materials used in building and furniture construction
that are made from wood veneers, particles, or fibers bonded
together with an adhesive under heat and pressure.
Radon and radon decay products
Radon is a radioactive gas formed in the decay of uranium. The
radon decay products (also called radon daughters or progeny) can
be breathed into the lung where they continue to release
radiation as they further decay.
Sick building syndrome
Term that refers to a set of symptoms that affect some number of
building occupants during the time they spend in the building and
diminish or go away during periods when they leave the building.
Cannot be traced to specific pollutants or sources within the
building. (Contrast with Building related illness ).
Ventilation rate
The rate at which indoor air enters and leaves a building.
Expressed in one of two ways: the number of changes of outdoor
air per unit of time (air changes per hour, or ach ) or the rate
at which a volume of outdoor air enters per unit of time (cubic
feet per minute, or cfm ).
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