Building related illness

Aside from private consultants, local, state, or federal government agencies may be able to provide expert assistance or direction in solving lAQ problems. It is particularly important to contact a local or state health department if one suspects that there is a serious building-related illness potentially linked to biological contamination in a building. 

Building-related Illness a discrete, identifiable disease or illness that ean be traeed to a speeific pollutant or source within a building. (Contrast with "Siek building syndrome"). 

Building related illness (BRl) Any health problem related to poor air quality, due to equipment malfunction or contaminants in buildings. See also Sick building syndrome (SBS). 

Stachybotrys chartarum is one of the most commonly noted agents associated with so-called sick building or damp building-related syndrome and damp building-related illnesses (DBRI). While upper and some lower respiratory tract symptoms have been accepted as causally linked to human exposure to moldy damp indoor environments, other reported effects, including airflow obstruction, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pulmonary hemorrhage, neurologic effects and cancer, have not (Institute of Medicine, 2004). An excellent recent review of S. chartarum, associated trichothecene mycotoxins, and DBRI is available (Pestka et al, 2008). 

Pestka, J.J., Yike, I., Dearborn, D.G., Ward, M.D., Harkema, J.R. (2008). Stachybotrys chartarum, trichothecene mycotoxins, and damp building-related illness new insights into a public health enigma. Toxicol. Sci. 104 4-26. 

Lynch RM, Kipen H. Building-related illness and employee lost time following application of hot asphalt roof A call for prevention. Toxicol Ind Health 1998 14(6) 857-68. 

While individual VOCs like benzene and toluene have been linked with acute myeloid leukaemia and neurotoxicity, respectively [ 111,112], epidemiological studies of the health effects of indoor VOCs have related TVOC rather than individual VOC levels to exposure. The outcomes of such studies have been mixed [113]. In some cases,positive associations between SBS,building-related illness or multiple chemical sensitivity syndromes and TVOC levels were observed... 

Thrasher JD, Madison R, Broughton A, et al. 1989. Building-related illness and antibodies to albumin conjugates of formaldehyde, toluene diisocyanate, and trimellitic anhydride. Am J Ind Med 15 187-196. 

SELTZER, J.M. (1994) Building-related illnesses. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 94, 351-361. 

TABLE 18-7. Names applied to building-related illness ... 

TABLE 18-8. Building-related illnesses and their causes... 

Bardana EJ, Montanaro A The formaldehyde fiasco a review of the scientific data. Immunology and Allergy Practice 9 11-24,1987 Bardana EJ Jr Building-related illness, in Occupational Asthma. Edited hy Bardana EJ Jr, Montanaro A, O Hollaren MT. Philadelphia, PA, Hanley Belfus, 1992, pp 237-254... 

Bardana EJ Jr, Montanaro A, O Hollaren MT Building-related illness a review of available scientific data. Clinical Reviews in Allergy 6 61-89, 1988 Bartha L, Baumzweiger W, Buscher D, et al Multiple chemical sensitivity a 1999 consensus. Arch Environ Health 54 147-149, 1999 Berglund B, Gunnarsson AG Relationships between occupant personality and the sick building syndrome explored. Indoor Air 10 152-169, 2000... 

Seltzer JM Building-related illnesses. J Allergy Clin Immunol 94 351-362,1994 Shusterman DJ, Dager SR Prevention of psychological disability after occupational respiratory exposures. Occup Med 6 11-27, 1991 Simon GE Psychiatric symptoms in multiple chemical sensitivity. Toxicol Ind Health 10 487-496, 1994... 

Physical hazards are concerned with items such as back injury, electrocution, rapid pressure change, and violence. Environmental hazards include items such as ionizing radiation, nonionizing radiation, building-related illness, and noise. 

Building Related Illness (BRI) Refers to an illness brought on by exposure to contaminants in a building. Legionnaires disease and hypersensitivity pneumonia remain two commonly occurring examples. 

Building-related illness— Diagnosable illnesses with identifiable symptoms that can be attributed... 

BREEAM Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method BRI Building related illness... 

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