Sick building syndrome or SBS refers to situations where
“building occupants experience acute health and comfort effects
that appear to be linked to time spent in a building, but no
specific illness or cause can be identified,” according to the
EPA’s Indoor Air Quality website. This can occur either in a
specific room or area, or throughout the building. Symptoms can
include: - eye, nose, or throat irritation - dry cough - dry or
itchy skin - dizziness and nausea - difficulty in concentrating
- sensitivity to odors Although the cause of the symptoms is
usually not known, sufferers usually report feeling better soon
after they leave the building. Poor ventilation, as well as
heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) not
effectively distributing air throughout the building, seems to
be a major contributing factor in SBS. Indoor and outdoor
pollution sources can also contribute to SBS. Indoor air
pollution sources include: - manufactured wood products - copy
machines - cleaning agents These sources can e