Perception of indoor air quality (IAQ) by workers in underground shopping centers in relation to sick-building syndrome (SBS) and store type: a cross-sectional study in Korea

Indoor air quality and sick building syndrome symptoms in administrative office at public university

Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) is an illness among workers linked to time spent in a building. This study aimed to investigate the Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) and symptoms of Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) among administrative office workers. The IAQ parameters consist of ventilation performance indicators, and physical and chemical parameters were measured using specified instruments for three days during weekdays. The SBS symptoms were assessed by a questionnaire adopted from the Industry Code of Practice of Indoor Air Quality (ICOP-IAQ) 2010 among 19 employees from the office in East Coast Malaysia. Relationship between past symptoms and present symptoms which are draught (past symptoms) with feeling heavy headed (present symptoms) (r = 0.559, p < 0.05), room temperature too high (past symptoms) was highly correlated with feeling heavy headed (present symptoms) (r = 0.598, p < 0.01) and cough (present symptoms) (r = 0.596, p < 0.01). Room temperature (past symptoms) has a positive medium relationship with cough (present symptoms) (r = 0.477, p < 0.05) and scaling itching scalp or ears (present symptoms) has a relationship between stuffy bad air (r = 0.475, p < 0.05) and dry air (r = 0.536, p < 0.05). There was a significant association between RH with drowsiness (χ2 = 7.090, p = 0.049) and dizziness (χ2 = 7.090, p = 0.049). The association was found between temperature and SBS symptoms between temperature with headache (χ2 = 7.574, p = 0.051), feeling heavy-headed (χ2 = 8.090, p = 0.046), and skin rash itchiness (χ2 = 7.451, p = 0.044). Air movement also showed a positive association with symptoms of feeling heavy-headed (x2 = 8.726, p = 0.021). PM10 has positive significance with SBSS which are feeling heavy-headed (χ2 = 7.980, p = 0.023), and eyer's irritation (χ2 = 7.419, p = 0.038). The conclusion of this study showed that there were positive significant between temperature and relative humidity toward SBSS.

Breathing Uneasily: Employees' Stories of Coping With Poor Indoor Air Quality in the Workplace

OBJECTIVES

This phenomenological study aimed to elucidate the lived experiences of employees suffering from poor indoor air quality (IAQ) in their university workplace. It addresses gaps in understanding IAQ's personal impacts from occupants' perspectives.

BACKGROUND

Prior research on sick building syndrome and indoor air pollution utilized quantitative methods to assess physical health outcomes. However, few studies have adopted qualitative approaches to uncover the meanings ascribed to adverse IAQ experiences and their influences on psychosocial well-being.

METHODS

In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with five university employees who attributed their chronic illnesses to poor IAQ in their 60-year-old office building with a history of IAQ concerns. Verbatim transcripts were analyzed using qualitative techniques including thematic coding to extract key themes conveying shared experiences.

RESULTS

Employees depicted the building itself as fundamentally "sick" and stigmatized, compelling complex coping behaviors hindering productivity. Communication breakdowns, mistrust in leadership, and strained workplace relationships were prevalent. A sense of betrayal, powerlessness, and a sense of detachment from the workplace emerged with home as a refuge.

CONCLUSIONS

Although technically adequate, poor IAQ profoundly damaged perceived health, quality of life, relationships, and satisfaction. The accounts emphasize IAQ's psychosocial dimensions, advancing theoretical links between indoor environments and well-being. Supportive policies, transparency, communication, participatory processes, and human-centered strategies emerge as ways to nurture productivity, well-being, and organizational health.

Indoor air quality and its determinants in underground shopping malls in Korea

Underground shopping malls (USMs) are often open or semi-open environments with interconnected passageways, resulting in the sharing of indoor air. However, indoor air quality (IAQ) within these spaces can vary due to many diverse emission sources. We investigated the relationships between IAQ and geographical areas, as well as IAQ and store types, within USMs, in Korea. In 2020, we studied 10 different USMs, with a total of 128 outlets. We conducted comprehensive IAQ assessments (including measurements of fine particles (PM2.5), aldehydes, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs)) in stores, passages, and outdoor areas. The stores were categorized into three types: clothing, fashion accessories, and food services. Additionally, we measured environmental factors such as CO2 levels and presence of storefront walls. PM2.5 levels were higher outdoors, whereas aldehyde and VOC levels exhibited elevations within passages and the interior of stores than in the outdoor environment. The store-to-passage ratios for PM2.5, individual aldehydes, and VOC concentrations ranged from 1.06 to 4.93. Formaldehyde and total VOC (TVOC) concentrations were found to be elevated in clothing and fashion accessory stores, whereas PM2.5 concentrations were more prominent in food service establishments. Specific individual compounds, including propionaldehyde, hexaldehyde, benzene, n-heptane, toluene, n-octane, xylene, d-limonene, n-undecane, n-dodecane, and ethylbenzene concentrations exhibited associations with store types. Multivariate regression models demonstrated positive associations between most aldehydes and VOCs with CO2 concentrations and presence of storefront walls. This study underscored variations within USMs based on area and store type. Aldehyde and VOC concentrations were notably higher in clothing and fashion accessory stores than in food service outlets; these elevations were closely linked to CO2 levels and presence of storefront walls. These findings suggest that monitoring CO2 levels within USM stores, optimizing air-conditioning systems, and designing future stores without storefront walls can collectively contribute to an overall improvement of IAQ within USMs.

Sweet foods dietary pattern enhances negative associations of perceived indoor air quality during pregnancy with postpartum depression

Postpartum depression (PPD) is possibly caused by indoor air pollution and may be modified by maternal diet during pregnancy. Using the data from a prospective cohort study, we examined the interaction between indoor air quality and maternal dietary patterns on PPD development. A perceived indoor air quality (PIAQ) score was used to assess indoor air pollution. A higher PIAQ score indicated a worse indoor air quality. Women with higher PIAQ scores were at increased risk for PPD (tertile 3 vs. tertile 1, odds ratio [OR] = 2.12, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.37-3.29). Compared with a lower adherence to a "sweet foods pattern" (OR = 1.20, 95% CI = 0.66-2.18), a higher adherence to a "sweet foods pattern" enhanced the hazardous associations of the PIAQ on PPD (OR = 3.09, 95% CI = 1.81-5.27, adjusted p for interaction = 0.044). Higher adherence to a "whole grain-seafood pattern" and lower adherence to a "traditional pattern" also increased the risk for PPD, although the p values for the interaction were not significant. Our findings provide further evidence of the link between diet during pregnancy, air pollution, and PPD, and it can be used to develop PPD prevention strategies.

Occupant health in buildings: Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the opinions of building professionals and implications on research

The objectives of this study are to investigate building professionals' experience, awareness, and interest in occupant health in buildings, and to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their opinions, as well as to compare the research on occupant health in buildings to professionals' opinions. To address these objectives, a mixed research methodology, including a thorough review of the literature (N_L = 190) and an online survey (N_S = 274), was utilized. In general, there is an increasing research interest in occupant health and a heightened interest in health-related projects, among professionals, following the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, among the nine different building attributes examined, indoor air quality was the most researched building attribute with a focus on occupant health and was also presumed to be the most important by the professionals. Professionals considered fatigue and musculoskeletal pain to be the most important physical well-being issues, and stress, anxiety, and depression to be the most important mental well-being issues that need to be the focus of design, construction, and operation of buildings to support and promote occupant health, while eye-related symptoms and loss of concentration were the most researched physical and mental well-being symptoms in the literature, respectively. Finally, professionals indicated that COVID-19 pandemic had significant effect on their perspectives regarding buildings' impact on occupant health and they believed future building design, construction and operation will focus more on occupant health because of the pandemic experience.

Factors Affecting Occupants’ Satisfaction in Governmental Buildings: The Case of the Kingdom of Bahrain

Satisfaction is a very important factor in improving productivity and performance in the work environment. This study aims to investigate the levels of occupants’ satisfaction with the indoor environmental quality (IEQ) in the governmental buildings in the Kingdom of Bahrain and to investigate the impact of occupants’ demographics and building attributes (non-IEQ factors) on these levels. For these purposes, the study used a questionnaire that has 17 indoor environmental quality (IEQ) factors in addition to a group of non-IEQ factors. The questionnaire was distributed by hand or using email to 279 employees in the Bahraini governmental sector. The findings of the study revealed that occupants in the Bahraini governmental buildings are not strongly satisfied with IEQ factors, especially with sound privacy, followed by visual privacy and amount of space, and then noise levels. The findings also showed that for most IEQ factors, men are more satisfied than women are, those who work in enclosed private offices are more satisfied than those who work in open-plan offices, and those who have central air-conditioning at their workplace are more than those who have a wall-mounted air conditioner. The impact of age, nature of work, duration of working in the current building and at the current workstation, weekly working hours, and proximity to the window were also investigated. Accordingly, a group of recommendations was suggested aiming to improve the levels of occupants’ satisfaction.

Evaluation of the relationship between sick building syndrome complaints among hospital employees and indoor environmental quality

Background:

Sick building syndrome (SBS) is defined as a condition occurring in people who live or work in a modern building and who suffer from complaints such as headache, fatigue, lack of concentration, and irritation of the skin and mucous membranes.

Objectives:

The aim of this study is to examine the complaints associated with SBS in the employees of our hospital and evaluate the relationship between the characteristics of the work environment and the complaints of SBS.

Methods:

890 workers participated in the study. The complaints of the participants were rated and the sum of all complaints was recorded as the Total Complaint Score (TCS). The mean TCS of the participants was compared according to demographic characteristics and work environment characteristics.

Results:

The most common complaints among the employees were fatigue (40%), and general muscle and joint pain (31.4%). There was a statistically significant difference in TCS according to the position (p < 0.001). The mean TCS was significantly higher in females [13 (0–81)] than in males [6 (0–59)] (p < 0.001). The mean TCS increased with the presence of odor, new wall paint, the presence of fungus/mold on walls, and the presence of rotting/mold smell (p < 0.001, for all). TCS positively correlated with stress level, social relationship, noise level, comfort, cleanliness, number of employees in the same room, presence of odor, new wall paint, presence of rotting/mold, and use of chemical materials for cleaning in the room (p < 0.001, for all), and negatively correlated with room size and number of windows (p = 0.006, p < 0.001, respectively).

Discussion:

The present study found that the female gender, a high level of education, a high level of stress, a low level of social relationships and work environment characteristics were associated with the complaints of SBS among the employees. Accordingly, we believe that hospital management should be informed in order for the managers to take precautions and make new regulations.

Students' school-level symptoms mediate the relationship between a school's observed moisture problems and students' subjective perceptions of indoor air quality

Moisture damage can influence the subjective assessment of indoor air quality (subjective IAQ) in various ways. We studied whether the frequency of symptoms reported across students at school level mediates the relationship between observed mold and dampness in a school building and students' subjective IAQ. To answer this research question, we tested a multilevel path model. The analyzed data were created by merging two nationwide data sets: (a) survey data from students, including information on subjective IAQ (N = 24,786 students); (b) data from schools, including information on mold and dampness in a school building (N = 222). After the background variables were adjusted, schools' observed mold and dampness were directly and significantly related to poor subjective IAQ (standardized beta (β)= 0.22, P = .002). In addition, in schools with mold and dampness, students reported significantly more symptoms (β = 0.22, P = .023) than in schools without; the higher the prevalence of symptoms at school level, the worse the students' subjective IAQ (β = 0.60, P < .001). This indirect path was significant (P = .023). In total, schools' observed mold and dampness and student-reported symptoms explained 52% of the between-school variance in subjective IAQ.

Using Ambient Scent to Enhance Well-Being in the Multisensory Built Environment

The majority of the world's population now lives an urban existence, spending as much as 95% of their lives indoors. The olfactory atmosphere in the built environment has been shown to exert a profound, if often unrecognized, influence over our mood and well-being. While the traditionally malodorous stench to be found indoors (i.e., prior to the invention of modern sanitation) has largely been eliminated in recent centuries, many of the outbreaks of sick-building syndrome that have been reported over the last half century have been linked to the presence of a strange smell in the environment. At the same time, however, there is also growing evidence that consumer behavior can be manipulated by the presence of pleasant ambient odors, while various aromatherapy scents are said to improve our mood and well-being. This Anglophone review focuses primarily on indoor western urban developed spaces. Importantly, the olfactory ambience constitutes but one component of the multisensory atmosphere and ambient odors interact with the visual, auditory, and haptic aspects of the built environment. Surprisingly, the majority of published studies that have deliberately chosen to combine ambient scent with other sensory interventions, such as, for example, music, have failed to increase store sales, or to enhance people's mood and/or well-being, as might have been expected. Such negative findings therefore stress the importance of considering multisensory congruency while, at the same time, also highlighting the potential dangers that may be associated with sensory overload when thinking about the effect of ambient smell on our well-being.

Variability of Total Volatile Organic Compounds (TVOC) in the Indoor Air of Retail Stores

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are released to the indoor air of retail stores from numerous products and activities, but available literature lacks a systematic understanding of the variability of VOC concentrations. In this study, we measured concentrations of total VOCs (TVOC) in 32 retail stores using a high-sensitivity photoionization detector (PID). Indoor thermal comfort parameters, including temperature, relative humidity, and air velocity, were simultaneously measured using an anemometer. The store-level TVOC concentrations ranged from 30 to 869 ppb and exceeded the LEED guideline in 31 stores. TVOC levels were notably high in hardware stores (median = 536 ppb, p = 0.0002) and paints, household, and home accessories sections within stores (p < 0.05). TVOC levels were elevated in mornings and evenings, possibly due to low ventilation and cleaning activities at the beginning and end of business hours. The between-store, within-store, and temporal variations accounted for 85%, 0.5%, and 14% of the total variance, respectively. The variance structure suggested that in-store VOC concentrations were predominantly driven by their source location, and representative monitoring should first consider covering various store types. Current store VOC levels present health concerns, but further studies are needed to evaluate risks among customers.