Indoor Air Quality of Office Buildings in the Helsinki Area

Indoor air quality (IAQ) was investigated in 19 open-plan offices and 30 office rooms in order to compare the differences in these two different types of office environments. No moisture or mold problems had been reported from the present buildings, but the employees had complained about the IAQ. The results revealed only slight differences in the IAQ of the two different types of office environments. The results indicate that high temperature, low relative humidity and man-made mineral fibers (MMMF) were the most common IAQ problems occurring in offices and possibly causing indoor air complaints. INDEX TERMS Indoor air quality, Open-plan office, Dust, VOC, Thermal comfort INTRODUCTION The average person in Europe and North America spends 70-90 % of his/her time indoors. Therefore, the air that people breathe originates mostly from the indoor air of various building environments (Singh, 1996; Norbäck, Bjornsson, Janson et al., 1995). Consequently, the indoor environment is, by far, the most important environment from a public health perspective. The Sick Building Syndrome (SBS), allergies, hyperreactivity reactions and airway infections are associated with problems in IAQ. Numerous other illnesses are believed to be associated with IAQ, but scientific proof to verify this is inadequate (ACGIH, 1999). In the late 1980s the number of sick building surveys increased rapidly in Finland, especially in the Helsinki area. The personnel of workplaces experienced the indoor air as too hot or too cold, draughty, dry, stuffy or dusty (Kähkönen E, 1996; WHO, 1983). Employees, especially in air-conditioned office buildings, often report a complex list of symptoms related to skin, mucous membranes and the nervous system. The symptoms are often classified as sick building syndrome (SBS) (Kähkönen E, 1996; Levy and Maroni, 1992). Although the risk assessment is difficult, and the results of different studies vary (e.g., Dubrovova, 2000; Holcatova, 1999; Hruba, 1995), there probably is a correlation between indoor air quality and human health. The carbon dioxide level is the first indication of ventilation efficiency. A high concentration of CO2 is associated with an increased percentage of dissatisfied occupants and the sensation of stale and stuffy air. Another common complaint in office buildings concerns dust. Office workers are worried, for example, about dust coming from ventilation ducts. In addition, insufficient cleaning is also a widely discussed topic in offices. There are indications that the concentration of volatile organic compounds (VOC) exceeds normal levels more often in sick buildings than in normal ones. The main sources of VOCs in * Contact author email: [email protected] Proceedings: Indoor Air 2002