[Association of indoor air quality with physical health of users in a newly built school building in a university]

Comprehensive review of 2-ethyl-1-hexanol as an indoor air pollutant

Objectives

2‐Ethyl‐1‐hexanol (2EH), a fragrance ingredient and a raw material for the production of plasticizer di(2‐ethylhexyl) phthalate, is responsible for sick building syndrome (SBS). This review aims to clarify the 2EH characteristics as an indoor air pollutant such as indoor air concentration, emission mechanism, toxicity, and clinical effects.

Methods

Scientific publications in English that has been made available on PubMed as of June 2018 and ad hoc publications in regional languages were reviewed.

Results

Inhalation exposure to 2EH caused mucous membrane irritation in the eyes, nose, and throat in experimental animals. Studies in human volunteers revealed an increase in olfactory irritation and eye discomfort. There has been increasing evidence of 2EH being present in indoor air in buildings. The primary sources of 2EH emissions are not building materials themselves, but instead the hydrolysis of plasticizers and flooring adhesives. In particular, compounds like di(2‐ethylhexyl) phthalate present in polyvinyl chloride flooring materials are hydrolyzed upon contact with alkaline moisture‐containing concrete floors. That being said, it may be observed that indoor concentrations of 2EH increased every year during summer.

Conclusions

Unlike other volatile organic compounds that cause SBS, 2EH can be retained in indoor air for long durations, increasing the likelihood of causing undesirable health effects in building occupants exposed to it. As a precautionary measure, it is important to use flooring materials that do not emit 2EH by hydrolysis, or to dry concrete before covering with flooring materials.

Comparison of subjective symptoms associated with exposure to low levels of formaldehyde between students enrolled and not enrolled in a gross anatomy course

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to evaluate students' subjective symptoms associated with exposure to low levels of formaldehyde (FA) during a gross anatomy course and to survey how the risk of subjective symptoms was affected by exposure to FA.

METHODS

We conducted three questionnaire surveys of 125 students enrolled in an anatomy course (FA exposure group) and 124 students not enrolled in the course (FA nonexposure group) before, during, and 6 months after the course. The questionnaire included questions inquiring about subjective symptoms, sex, age, and allergies. We analyzed differences in the prevalence of subjective symptoms in distinct survey periods. Furthermore, we analyzed the relationship between the subjective symptoms and exposure to FA after adjusting for allergy, sex, and age using multiple logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

The prevalence of some of the ocular, nasal, and nonspecific symptoms in the FA exposure group was low before the course, increased during the course and decreased 6 months after the course. A significant positive relationship was observed between exposure to FA and some symptoms after adjusting for allergy, sex, and age.

CONCLUSIONS

We identified some concrete symptoms associated with exposure to FA. We suggest that the exposure to low levels of FA influences students' subjective symptoms.