"Syndrome of a sick building" - in which houses this occurs

The term "sick building syndrome" was first put into circulation by the World Health Organization half a century ago. According to the full-scale studies conducted by American experts, in the United States up to 30% of buildings are unsafe for health. The number of "bad" apartments and offices in Russia can only be guessed. The syndrome causes symptoms similar to respiratory diseases, but due to external factors: mold, dust, harmful volatile substances and other irritants and allergens.

Ecology of premises

The problems of ecological safety of life on the planet Earth are discussed all over the world. A lot of research is carried out, activities are planned, funds are allocated for improving the situation with the state of atmospheric air, water of the world ocean, soil.

Equally important is the ecology of the premises. The quality of life depends directly on the quality of housing, its hygienic characteristics. Home air, according to environmentalists, is 9 times more toxic and 5 times dirtier than outdoor air. For a day a person "absorbs" up to 3 billion dust particles. These adverse factors significantly impair health.

If the microclimate inside the building is broken, "sick building syndrome" arises - this is when biological, chemical and other allergens accumulate in the apartment. First, living or working people have problems with breathing, over time, joint pains occur, insomnia.

Definition

We will understand when using the term "sick building syndrome". The concept of SBS (with the English Sick building syndrome) is used to describe the situation when residents of certain buildings have a set of ailments, symptoms, and no specific diseases are manifested.

People are often interested in what kind of houses the "sick building syndrome" occurs most often. The manifestation of symptoms is mainly due to too little fresh air in the rooms and its poor quality.

The sources of pollutants can be:

• Living organisms (eg, by-products of respiration, dampness, fungi);
• Building materials and design elements (solvents, paints, wood preservatives, asbestos);
• Ventilation systems, air conditioning (microorganisms in ventilation ducts);
• Air from outside (contaminated with chemistry in major cities);
• Inadequate use of premises (eg, smoking).

Symptoms

In 1984, WHO reported that "sick building syndrome" is inherent in 30% of new and reconstructed buildings in the world. For prolonged periods of time, they may occur:

• Headaches, dizziness;
• fainting;
• nausea;
• insomnia;
• Symptoms of fatigue;
• Irritation of mucous membranes;
• labored breathing;
• Pain in the joints and others.

Bad apartment

Studies show that deterioration in people's health (irritation of the eyes, skin, upper respiratory tract, headache, fatigue, sleep disturbance) is often associated with poor quality of inhaled indoor air. In the atmosphere of closed modern buildings, up to 300 chemical volatile compounds, mites, various endotoxins, mold fungi, an increased concentration of radon. In addition to all of the above, the person in the room is affected by electromagnetic fields, household appliances (computers, microwave ovens) and radionuclides from building materials. These factors also generate "sick building syndrome".

The term is used when in a flat leaking roof, cracks in the walls, non-functioning heating favors the development of colonies of microscopic fungi, whose spores are toxic. In homes in the winter, household gas is very often burnt for heating, the combustion products of which are unsafe.

Adverse factors

Harmful substances, for various reasons entering the air of enclosed spaces, can not even be counted. In 1971, a list of chemical elements in the amount of fifty, allocated from building materials, was compiled. To date, the volumes of polymers used for the construction of new buildings, repair and finishing of existing premises have increased significantly. We should not forget about the interaction of these chemicals, some of which intensify each other's actions.

Chemical irritants

In all countries, "sick building syndrome" is accompanied by tangible economic losses, because it is required to carry out preventive measures, treat people, pay for sick leave. At the same time, many owners themselves form an unfavorable environment, they try to make so-called "European-quality repairs" using synthetics. Such materials are necessarily subject to state sanitary and epidemiological expertise, and work with them is performed under ideal conditions (liquid or air simulation in special chambers). In life, everything is more complicated.

The most harmful components of the air of offices and apartments are formaldehyde and phenol. The concentration of the first in homes depends on the saturation of the premises with polymers (new furniture made of particleboard, produced on the basis of carbamide and phenol-formaldehyde resins). The source of formaldehyde is also products of incomplete combustion of gas. Another priority in the list of air pollutants is styrene, which is released from heat-insulating products and some moisture-resistant wallpapers. Linoleum, varnishes, paints, glue, solvents are sources of benzene, xylene, toluene.

Therefore, the question, in which houses there is a "sick building syndrome", you can safely answer - in those where:

• Many plastic elements are used (windows, suspended ceilings, PVC panels);
• New furniture is installed not from natural materials;
• The floor is covered with linoleum (carpets of artificial nap, laminate);
• Insulation , insulation materials ;
• New buildings, recently renovated rooms.

Hazardous Polymers

The development of the syndrome contributes to the contribution of polymer materials, widely used in modern construction for furniture, as well as floor and wall coverings. Not the least place in the process of air pollution is given to tobacco smoke and natural gas combustion products. It has been established that the sources of pollution and the release of certain chemicals (eg carbon monoxide) in buildings for health are more dangerous than in open areas.

The presence of polymer materials leads to the appearance of static electricity. This further worsens the air in rooms where people are for a long time. Scientists believe that the prevention of "sick building syndrome" should begin with the design of residential buildings. The ecological passport of each house must be registered, as well as control over the objects that are being built.

High humidity

Stone structures are the basis of most megacities. For example, according to the GUION, in St. Petersburg 96.9% of the area of housing stock is represented by stone buildings. Including: 48.7% of the area - a brick building, mostly without cladding, 14.8% - living quarters pre-revolutionary buildings.

The initial moisture level of stone structures is 8-12%, but over time this figure may increase several times. Experts fix the rise of ground moisture in the brick wall to a height of five meters.

Many people know, but hardly think about the fact that moisture is a favorable environment for most harmful microorganisms. Cracks in the walls are a conductor of moisture and harmful factors (including fungi). Investigations were carried out, which residents have "sick building syndrome". It turned out that the deviation of the microclimate parameters for the worse is observed when the building reaches a brick wall of thirty years, that is, with physical wear of about 25%.

Mold

Dangerous high humidity is not in itself, but by microorganisms and hornbeams developing in such an environment. For example, in Sweden, the regulatory amount of colony-forming microcells of a mold fungus in indoor air should not exceed 174 units. Studies in our country showed an excess of this indicator in 3-6 times.

Meanwhile, with prolonged stay of a person in infected premises, a "sick building syndrome" arises. Determining the source of mold is associated with a large amount of work - the colonies of fungi often settle in hard-to-reach places, in microcracks, under the finish. When the mold is clearly visible to the naked eye, then the room is seriously contaminated, and it is very problematic to defeat such an attack. As a result of inhalation of air contaminated with spores, there may be diathesis, asthma, allergies, cancer, internal organs.

"Sick Building Syndrome": indoor hygiene

A person can not live without food, water and oxygen. Clean air is the key to health. Most of the inhabitants of our country spend up to 90% of their time inside buildings. Like people, the premises also need a kind of hygiene.

Competent builders know a lot about the "sick building syndrome" and can tell which houses it manifests most often. Typically, the fault is bad ventilation, so it should be checked and cleaned regularly. Poor air quality can lead to such consequences as allergies, eye irritation, hoarseness, cough, skin diseases, headache and general malaise.

Health is not the only reason to clean air ducts. The presence in the ventilation system of highly flammable substances (fat from the cooker, fiber clothes from drying machines) increases the risk of fire. Therefore, the monitoring of the state of air purity should be carried out regularly.

Factors that interfere with the ventilation of premises

Most of the buildings in Russia date back to the period when plastic windows did not exist. Accordingly, the norms of construction took into account the presence of micro-ventilation in addition to the hoods in the kitchen and in the bathroom. Thanks to the "breathing" wooden frames, the air in the hall, bedroom, children's room was regularly updated.

Installation of plastic windows can reduce heat loss and increase noise insulation, but completely "turns off" micro-ventilation. This leads to an increase in humidity and, as a consequence, the formation of mold. Of course, there are models of windows that provide gas exchange, but most consumers put "that is cheaper." Inexpensive plastic not only disrupts ventilation, but also additionally releases harmful chemical components.

Among the factors that disrupt the ventilation of the premises, we emphasize:

• Installation of plastic windows, aggravated by the installation of double-glazed windows on the balcony.
• Replacement of standard doors on thick canvas without "ugly" gaps.
• Warming (sealing) of the outer wall.
• Re-planning of air ducts.
• The withdrawal of the hood (and other household appliances) directly into the vent.

Air filtration

There are technological solutions for obtaining safe indoor air. The latest advances in solving problems are specialized filters, for example, High Security, 3G and others. They are able to capture gaseous and solid contaminants in ducts, without requiring re-planning of premises.

• High Security is designed to filter biological and chemical components.
• 3G filter is used to maintain healthy air by trapping small and solid particles inhabiting the air, organic substances, unpleasant odors.

"Green building"

For houses with an unfavorable and dangerous microclimate, scientists came up with a special name - "sick building syndrome". In contrast to them, the so-called "green construction" is gaining momentum in developed countries . This direction takes on a mass character in the West. Stakeholders (designers, builders, environmentalists, medical professionals, insurance organizations) realized that the problem can not be hushed up anymore.

Analysts say that deteriorating health of tenants, a decrease in the productivity of office workers, insurance payments cover the possible benefits from the use of old architectural projects and cheap construction materials. On the basis of chipboard, polymers and paints are environmentally friendly materials. New requirements are also applied to the design of facilities, ensuring reliable ventilation and waterproofing.

Questions on the microclimate of the premises continue to be explored. The parameters of its deterioration are correlated with the age of the building and the physical wear of the enclosing structures. The coefficient of fracturing of brick walls is determined, at which the quality of the microclimate in the rooms is disturbed.

And how is it in Russia?

Russians have experienced more than others, what does "sick building syndrome" mean. The difficult climate in the compartment with the construction of cheap housing (especially massively practiced in the USSR) gave rise to a lot of communal problems. The country really needs to modernize the housing stock. To avoid such a problem as "sick building syndrome", in which houses it is better to settle?

It is worth noting that the Russian market is already responding to the western trend. New requirements for environmental friendliness and energy conservation of real estate are being developed. A striking example of this is new buildings using the principles of "green building", the main purpose of which is to reduce the overall (for the life cycle of the building) harm to the health effects of the facility on the health of residents and the environment. One of the sections of BREEAM and LEED standardization for the classification of buildings in the field of "green building" is dedicated to the internal quality of the air, and also to health and well-being. The main lever to achieve the desired result - the use of new technologies and approaches in the construction, including solutions for engineering support of the building.

Prospects

In Russia, "green construction" is only gaining momentum. In the real estate market, average buyers are young people under 35 who have recently created a family. For them, the fact of having their own housing is important, they are not yet ready to pay more for super-quality. They are not intimidated by the sick building syndrome, even if it is a question of environmental friendliness and future energy savings. But, as is known, if there is a favorable economic situation in the country, then the demands to the quality of life for the population are growing.

Greater interest in "green building" is shown by business, especially when it comes to building, for example, a business center for their own needs. In this case, the opportunity to save up to 40% on operation with a relatively low payback period in excess of investments in the required systems and technologies (about 10-12 years) is a significant moment for a reasonable investor.