The Link between the User´s Health and Deficiencies in the Physical Indoor Environment
Abstract
In this project we study a school building where users for many years have complained about health problems. The symptoms reported are often nonspecific and are also common among the population in general, such as headache, fatigue, mucosal and skin problems. The purpose of this project is to investigate whether physical deficiencies in the indoor environment can be identified by measurements that can be linked to the health problems that users complain about. The starting point is to use a working model that not only seek damages in the building itself as the cause of the problems, but considering all polluting factors affecting the air environment. The measurement results, both the survey and the study of the physical measurements, show that there are problems with the air environment in the school building. The study shows that a link has been identified, that is the physical measurements show deficiencies in the air environment that is directly linked to the health problems t hat users complain about. Through a program of action a significant improvement of the indoor environment has been achieved, since the unhealthy emissions have been eliminated. Dry air prevails most of the year in the school building, below 40% and periodically below 20%. The cause of the dry air, are the air flows that the ventilation system creates. In Sweden the authorities pose far -reaching demands on the ventilation flow, causing technological systems installed to create these air flows. This would how ever go beyond the framework of this project.
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Introduction
Complaints on the indoor environment of the residents have in recent decades become a common problem in the Swedish property portfolio. The buildings themselves are considered to be the cause of problems and a diffuse image is created by both the exposure and the effect of the problems. The symptoms that residents and users report are often unspecific and moreover common in the population in general, such as headache, fatigue, mucosal and skin problems. In a study of public health authorities reported that the equivalent of 18% of the adult population in Sweden has these symptoms, and the explanation is considered to be deficiencies in the building itself [1, 2]. There are parties, both in the public sector and in the private ranks, carrying out various measurements and refers to the deficiencies found in the building's design that causes that the occupants of these buildings become ill. The methods used are not validated and no comparisons can be made between the different parties since there is no calibration between different measurement procedures. It should be emphasized that the measured levels are extremely low in relation to exposure limits of The Swedish Work Environment Authority [3]. It is also said by many researchers that there are no established dose-response relationship in the matter and this is supported by intensive research that has taken place in recent decades [4-11]. However, the action continues by the authorities and private parties, as if the dose-response relationships are confirmed. This situation has created the conditions to allow the use of a working model that lacks a scientific working hypothesis [12]. The Swedish authorities have embraced this and an inadequate working model is now allowed to control the actions of the authorities [13, 14, 15].
Already in the early 1990s, the incidence of problems increased in Sweden. In a survey of this period, involving more than 200 people on municipal technical offices, the results showed that the problem was widespread. In addition, they demonstrated great difficulty in dealing with the situation when the problem occurred. It is noteworthy that the authorities' actions already perceived as unclear and they were out of touch with everyday situation in the Swedish property portfolio [16]. Working models must not be too tight so that the critical parameters affecting indoor environment and human health are omitted [17]. Instead, all the factors that affect the environment in a particular building must be included. Different environments may not be interchanged, i.e., so that the external environments that users are exposed to not unduly are transferred to and condemn a certain designated building. The model used must be clear.
1. Dose-response relationships; the level of a particular substance is established that provides health problems, alternatively, combinations of several substances.
2. The analysis must take into account both the total human environment they are exposed to and the activities in the current building, which today does not occur [13, 14, 15].
Is not a viable working model in use it is very likely that there are shortcomings in the indoor environment that is not taken into account and therefore cannot be rectified. The result is that problems with the indoor environment persists despite extensive measures are implemented [18]. This project is based on the study of a school building, which for many years has been exposed to problems and despite extensive efforts, the problems have not been solved and the activities suffer major disruptions. The purpose of this project is to investigate whether it is possible to identify the link between the health problems that users complain of and deficiencies in the building's air environment. This means that the potential to eliminate the source of the problems that cause the users of the building increases, than the use of incomplete work models. A parameter that must be considered in terms of the air environment in buildings is the relative humidity. Studies show that dry air, with respect to human health, often prevails in buildings and that the situation becomes even more pronounced during the winter months. It is well documented that the incidence of respiratory infections increases in winter when people during long periods are exposed to low relative humidity levels indoors [19 – 28]. Regarding the relative humidity there is an optimum zone between 40-60%, and this level should be sought, see ”Fig. 1”.
Conclusion
As seen from the results in ”Fig 3 and 8 ”, the air environment of the school is not good. The situation with regard to the high emission quantities and t he low relative humidity must be highlighted and addressed in an entirely different way than is the case today. Repeated complaints about health problems, due to staying in a particular indoor environment is an issue that is constantly discussed and the problem situation only increases. What is lacking in a society that is generally considered to be both high -tech and with well -educated people? As shown the supervisory authority in the school takes no account to the deficiencies identified in this project;
- the high particulate emissions quantities and
- low relative humidity.
Instead the central authority focus on other parameters they consider to be the cause of problems and that is the actual building construction [13, 14, 15]. The following can be stated:
A. Problems with the air environment prevailing in the school, but the supervisory authority doesn´t intervene despite inspections [39].
B. The legal system does not reach out to the school that this project concerns and the local supervisory authority cannot handle the problem [39, 40].
C. This project has identified deficiencies in the environment, but despite this information the local supervisory authority refuses to acknowledge this information. Instead, the local authorities refer to the central authorities´ directives [40] and it can be stated that something in the Swedish authority's system fails.
It is important for those who are staying in school buildings that the authorities' actions are not deficient. If so, it is necessary to identify and also correct these deficiencies. Regarding emission load in the air this project shows that it is possible to correct, see ”Fig. 6”.
However, it is more difficult to rectify the dry air indoors, which studies show is caused by the mechanical systems installed in buildings [28, 41]. One problem is that the authorities require high air flows, but there are questions regarding these flow requirements and it is also necessary to evaluate this [13, 14, 15]. In the future, we need a careful analysis of what it is lacking in the Swedish system. A functional working model must be developed and the measuring methods used must be based on scientific working hypotheses, and clarity of dose-response relationships is required for factual development. Otherwise, the risk is great for emission loaded indoor environments with poor hygiene that spread illness, diseases and epidemics continue to develop. The problem is further enhanced by the dry air environment that the Swedish regulations are creating, i.e. dry air combined with high amounts of emissions is a very unfortunate combination.