exposure.

The symptoms of sick building syndrome include headaches, muscle aches, fatigue, cough, dizziness, nausea, dry itchy skin, skin rashes, eye irritation, nose irritation, skin irritation, difficulty breathing, difficulty concentrating and difficulty dealing with odors.

Asbestos, lead dust, formaldehyde, radon gas, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, pet dander, mildew, mold, dust mites, bacteria, second hand smoke, and other indoor pollutants were accumulating with buildings, and making people sick! Common household products and furnishings were releasing invisible and deadly gases into the air. Bacteria and molds were multiplying. Even the homes themselves were contributing to the indoor pollution levels. Items such as carpets, cleaning products, paint, varnish and glues that were stored within the home, or used in its construction, were now releasing their components into the air around them. Worse yet, these chemicals no longer had anyway of being diffused, they simply combined with the multitude of other indoor pollutants as they developed.

In 1984 the World Health Organization released an official report on the possible symptoms and causes of sick building syndrome. In 1989 the "American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers" revised it's building standards to encompass a wide range of situations. There would once again be a minimum allowable of 15 cubic meters of fresh air per minute per person, and the amount of ventilation would increase in offices, schools and smoking establishments.

If your home or workplace was built during the mid to late 1970's, or sometime during the 1980's, you may want to investigate it's ventilation standards. Buildings built under this code are still very much in use today.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S ick_building_syndrome

http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/sb s.html

http://www.healthline.com/gale content/sick-building-syndrome -1/2#causes&symptoms

http://www.lungusa.org/site/c. dvLUK9O0E/b.315952/k.4FD/Indoo r_Air_Pollution.htm

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