Sick Building Syndrome in Stockholm

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1: Int Arch Occup Environ Health. 2001 May;74(4):270-8. Related

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Sick building syndrome in relation to building dampness in multi-

family residential buildings in Stockholm.

Engvall K, Norrby C, Norback D.

Department of Medical Science/Occupational and Environmental

Medicine, University Hospital, Uppsala University, Sweden.

karin.engvall@...

OBJECTIVES: The aim was to study relationships between symptoms

compatible with sick building syndrome (SBS) on one hand, and

different indicators of building dampness in Swedish multi-family

buildings on the other. METHODS: In Stockholm, 609 multi-family

buildings with 14,235 dwellings were identified, and selected by

stratified random sampling. The response rate was 77%. Information

on weekly symptoms, age, gender, population density in the

apartment, water leakage during the past 5 years, mouldy odour,

condensation on windows, and high air humidity in the bathroom was

assessed by a postal questionnaire. In addition, independent

information on building characteristics was gathered from the

building owners, and the central building register in Stockholm.

Multiple logistic regression analysis was applied, and adjusted odds

ratios (OR) were calculated, adjusted for age and gender, population

density, and selected building characteristics. RESULTS:

Condensation on windows, high air humidity in the bathroom, mouldy

odour, and water leakage was reported from 9.0%, 12.4%, 7.7% and

12.7% of the dwellings, respectively. In total 28.5% reported at

least one sign of dampness. All indicators of dampness were related

to an increase of all types of symptoms, significant even when

adjusted for age, gender, population density, type of ventilation

system, and ownership of the building. A combination of mouldy odour

and signs of high air humidity was related to an increased

occurrence of all types of symptoms (OR = 3.7-6.0). Similar findings

were observed for a combination of mouldy odour and structural

building dampness (water leakage) (OR = 2.9 5.2). In addition, a

dose-response relationship between symptoms and number of signs of

dampness was observed. In dwellings with all four dampness

indicators, OR was 6.5, 7.1, 19.9, 5.8, 6.1, 9.4, 15.0 for ocular,

nasal, throat, dermal symptoms, cough, headache and tiredness,

respectively. CONCLUSION: Signs of high air humidity, as well as of

structural building dampness, are common in multi-family buildings

in Stockholm. Reports of building dampness in dwellings is related

to a pronounced increase of symptoms compatible with the SBS, even

when adjusted for possible confounding by age, gender, population

density, and building-related risk factors.

PMID: 11401019 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?

cmd=Retrieve & db=PubMed & list_uids=11401019 & dopt=Abstract