Environmental Risk Factors and Work-Related Lower Respiratory Symptoms in 80 Office Buildings: An Exploratory Analysis of NIOSH Data

Details

• Personal Author:
  Mendell MJ ; Naco GM ; Sieber, W. Karl ; Wilcox, Thomas G.
• Description:
  We evaluated relationships between lower respiratory symptoms and risk factors for microbiological contamination in office buildings. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health collected data from 80 office buildings during standardized indoor environmental health hazard evaluations. Present analyses included lower respiratory symptom-based outcome definitions and risk factors for potential microbiologic contamination. Multivariate logistic regression models for selected outcomes identified key risk factors. Adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) for "at least three of four work-related lower respiratory symptoms" were, for debris in ventilation air intake, 2.0 (1.0-3.9), and for poor drainage in air-conditioning drip pans, 2.6 (1.3-5.2). Adjusted associations with risk factors were consistently stronger for outcomes requiring both multiple symptoms and improvement away from work, and somewhat stronger among diagnosed asthmatics. Moisture and debris in ventilation systems, possibly by supporting microbiologic growth, may increase adverse respiratory effects, particularly among asthmatics. Data from more representative buildings are needed to confirm these findings. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Air Pollutants, Occupational Air Pollution Air Pollution, Indoor Environmental Health Environmental Pollution Irritants Microbiology Occupational Health Respiratory System Respiratory Tract Diseases Safety Ventilation

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• Keywords:
  Air-contamination Air-quality Asthma Author Keywords: Indoor Environmental Quality Building-related Illness Environmental-contamination Indoor-air-pollution Indoor-environmental-quality Indoor Air Quality Microorganisms Nonspecific Symptoms Pulmonary-system-disorders Respiratory-infections Respiratory-irritants Respiratory-system-disorders Respiratory Disease Respiratory Symptoms Sick Building Syndrome Ventilation-systems Ventilation Systems

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• ISSN:
  0271-3586
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  California ; Maryland ; Ohio ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 5 ; OSHA Region 9
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DSHEFS - Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  43
• Issue:
  6
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20024072
• Citation:
  Am J Ind Med 2003 Jun; 43(6):630-641
• Contact Point Address:
  Indoor Environment Department, Environmental Energy Technologies Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
• Email:
  mjmendell@lbl.gov
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2003
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  American Journal of Industrial Medicine
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:08954815f0cf5944d82338e719444dfec35a5c7d3e6171b1fdcf118fd8ef1db4c94fc50b56693ae26664404b9ddaa9de7a2f3d6f063f6cea5ec714311974a7df
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/196078/cdc_196078_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 173.67 KB ]