Sick Building Syndrome
Also known as multiple chemical sensitivity, sick building syndrome is a condition that is insidious because we cannot smell it, see it, hear it or taste it, but it irritates our eyes, nose throat, and skin. It also provokes a dry cough, gives us headaches, make us feel fatigued, lose concentration, and might trigger asthma for those who have the condition.
Feeling tired and irritable at the office? It might not be due to a sugar slump after all.
Where does the indoor pollution come from?
From volatile gasses that leach from synthetic carpets, wall coverings, and office furniture, especially brand new ones.
One suggestion is to replace the office furniture by switching to a carpet made with natural fibers like cotton or wool, and opening windows. Or, better yet, do away with carpets and have hardwood floors with a non-petrochemical based varnish.
Any carpet that boasts of being stain-resistant is heavily sprayed with colorless and odorless synthetic chemicals. Parents better think twice before letting their babies and children lie down on the carpet or play on it. These chemicals actually show up in urine tests of people who have stain-resistant carpets in their homes!
The same goes for any clothing fabric that's wrinkle-resistant. The fabric has been doused in a chemical that forces the fibers to keep their shape. Throw that wrinkle-resistant shirt from the washer to the dryer, and you'll get a strong dose of chemicals into your lungs when you open that dryer door. Wonder why doing laundry makes you feel so tired and achy all over? It's not the labor, it's the chemicals!
Apart from walls, tables and chairs, also be wary of laser printers. They are the primary source of indoor air pollution because they spew out fine-scale particulates, the sort that tends to penetrate deep into the lungs. Avoid putting a printer right next to your desk. Assign the printer to its own room so that the pollution can be contained, and make it a well-ventilated room so that the pollution doesn't build up.
For the office or the home, remove furniture made of pressboard or other materials that could release volatile gasses into the air.
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