Most of us work in a building. If you’re an employee, you work in your company’s building. Even if you’re independent you often have to work in your client’s building. Outside sales representatives who visit customers end up working in those customer’s buildings.
Most of these buildings cause sick building syndrome. Although sometimes categorized an “unexplained illness” along with multiple chemical sensitivity and fibromyalgia, significant elements of the syndrome can in fact be explained. One of the problems is that, as with those other illnesses, conventional science is unable to grasp the multi-system effects that characterize these illnesses.
With this limitation, clinicians and researchers struggle to come up with diagnostic criteria. Those who are sympathetic try to make sense of the symptoms that can include a range of allergic and immune reactions, toxic reactions, and neurological effects. Those who are not sympathetic work to show that it’s all in their head. Meanwhile, people suffer.
One thing that distinguishes sick building syndrome from chronic illnesses-such as multiple chemical sensitivity-is that symptoms stop when the sufferer leaves the sick building. Somehow this seems to suggest to researchers that sick building syndrome is not a chronic illness. However, research shows that symptoms have a well-defined dose-response relationship and that the people who are most likely to react also have physiological markers that point to conditions such as compromised immunity. It’s like saying you’re allergic only when you’re sneezing.
On top of that, there seems to be little research into the long term implications for health. If someone works in a sick building for 20 years without having symptoms, are they at greater risk of compromised health or early death?
An example…
A recent study found that increased smog outside increases the incidence of sick building syndrome reactions. What’s called ozone is a principal bad player (by the way, it’s not just the molecule ozone, but other molecules that are heavy oxidizers). The explanation is a quite frightening.
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are everywhere in buildings. They come from paint, carpet, furniture, computer equipment, you name it. Some of these materials have been shown to contribute directly to sick building syndrome reactions. What the oxidizers in smog do is oxidize materials that would otherwise be stable and non-toxic and turn them into toxins. Ventilation systems then circulate the old and the new toxins throughout the building.
The ventilation system contributes in another way. Most filters on ventilation systems are made from polyester. Ozone reacts with polyester and produces VOCs. The researchers estimate that the ill effect of ozone indoors is ten times its effect outdoors because of these reactions.
Back to long term effects: it’s well established that ozone contributes to increased risks of diabetes, heart attacks, and stroke not to mention asthma, emphysema, and other lung diseases.
Since you probably spend about half your waking life working in a building that is very likely sick, the next time you start looking for a better job, you’d be wise to check out the health of the building you’ll be working in.
