SICK BUILDING SYNDROME (SBS) IN OFFICE WORKERS AND FACIAL SKIN SYMPTOMS AMONG VDT-WORKERS IN RELATION TO BUILDING AND ROOM CHARACTERISTICS - 2 CASE-REFERENT STUDIES (REPRINTED FROM INDOOR AIR IN PRESS)

In two case-referent studies the associations between questionnaire sy mptom reports, expressed as SBS (Sick Building among VD T-workers, and physical data from offices in 160 buildings were investigated. The re sults show that low outdoor airflow rate and presence of certain pollu tion sources, such as copying machines, tended to be associated with a n elevated prevalence of SBS. Buildings built or remodelled between 19 77 and 1986, low-rise buildings with a horizontal roof and a foundatio n of the type ''concrete slab on the ground'', as well as rooms with f lourescent tube lighting with metal shields were also associated with higher SBS risks. A number of factors were associated with an overrepr esentation of skin symptoms among VDT-workers such as type of foundati on (concrete slab on the ground and crawlspace), the frequency of floo r cleaning and type of lighting (fluorescent tubes with glass/plastic shields). It has not been possible to establish conclusive explanation s for these associations. The difference in associations between build ing factors and SBS, and between building factors and skin symptoms am ong VDT-workers points to different etiologies.