Building-Related Symptoms among Office Employees Associated with Indoor Carbon Dioxide and Total Volatile Organic Compounds

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Chung-Yen Lu⁵  Jia-Min Lin³  Ying-Yi Chen²  Yi-Chun Chen⁴  Gary Adamkiewicz¹ 

[1] School of Post-Baccalaureate Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung 404, Taiwan; E-Mail;Institute of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 100, Taiwan; E-Mail:;Institute of Environmental Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei 100, Taiwan; E-Mail:;Department of Health Management, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung 824, Taiwan;School of Post-Baccalaureate Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung 404, Taiwan; E-Mail:

关键词: carbon dioxide;    indoor air quality;    sick-building syndrome;    volatile organic compounds;   

DOI  :  10.3390/ijerph120605833

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

This study investigated whether sick building syndrome (SBS) complaints among office workers were associated with the indoor air quality. With informed consent, 417 employees in 87 office rooms of eight high-rise buildings completed a self-reported questionnaire for symptoms experienced at work during the past month. Carbon dioxide (CO₂), temperature, humidity and total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs) in each office were simultaneously measured for eight office hours using portable monitors. Time-averaged workday difference between the indoor and the outdoor CO₂ concentrations (dCO₂) was calculated as a surrogate measure of ventilation efficiency for each office unit. The prevalence rates of SBS were 22.5% for eye syndrome, 15.3% for upper respiratory and 25.4% for non-specific syndromes. Tiredness (20.9%), difficulty in concentrating (14.6%), eye dryness (18.7%) were also common complaints. The generalized estimating equations multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and 95% confidence interval (CI) per 100 ppm increase in dCO₂ were significantly associated with dry throat (1.10, 95% CI = (1.00–1.22)), tiredness (1.16, 95% CI = (1.04–1.29)) and dizziness (1.22, 95% CI = (1.08–1.37)). The ORs for per 100 ppb increases in TVOCs were also associated with upper respiratory symptoms (1.06, 95% CI = (1.04–1.07)), dry throat (1.06, 95% CI = (1.03–1.09)) and irritability (1.02, 95% CI = (1.01–1.04)). In conclusion, the association between some SBS symptoms and the exposure to CO₂ and total VOCs are moderate but may be independently significant.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2015 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.