Inflammation markers in nasal lavage, and nasal symptoms in relation to relocation to a newly painted building: a longitudinal study

Introduction: There is a need to evaluate possible health effects of ventil ation improvements and emissions from new buildings, in longitudinal studie s. New methods to study biological effects on the eyes and upper airways ar e now available. Material and methods: A longitudinal study was performed o n 83 trained social workers in two offices in Uppsala, Sweden. The exposed group (n = 57) moved to a newly redecorated building nearby. Low emitting b uilding material had been used, including a new type of solvent-free water- based paint. The control group (n = 26) worked in the same office during th e study period (November 1995 to February 1996). Hygiene management was car ried out in both offices, at the beginning and the end of the investigation . Tear film stability (BUT) was measured. Nasal patency was measured by aco ustic rhinometry, and eosinophilic cationic protein (ECP), myeloperoxidase (MPO), lysozyme and albumin were analyzed in nasal lavage fluid (NAL). Resu lts: The relocation resulted in an increase in the personal outdoor airflow rate from 11 to 22 l/s. Indoor concentrations of terpenes were higher in t he new building, and powdering of the new linoleum floor was observed. Meas urements showed low levels of volatile organic compounds (VOC), formaldehyd e, carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen dioxide, respirable dust, and microorgani sms in the air of all buildings. The move resulted in an increased nasal pa tency and an increase of ECP and lysozyme in NAL, after adjusting for chang es in the control group. No changes were observed for nasal or ocular sympt oms. A seasonal effect, with a decrease of ECP, was observed in the control group. Conclusion: A well-ventilated office building can be redecorated wi thout any major ocular or nasal effects, or measurable increase of indoor a ir pollution if low-emitting building materials are selected. in agreement with previous evidence, the improved ventilation flow may explain the incre ase of nasal patency. The increase of ECP and lysozyme in NAL suggested an inflammatory effect in the new building. Since this building had increased ventilation flow, increased concentrations of terpenes, and powdering from the polish on the new linoleum floor, identification of causative agents wa s difficult. The hygiene measures did not give any evidence that emissions from the new type of solvent-free waterbased paints or building dampness we re responsible for the observed nasal effects. Considering the higher emiss ions of VOC reported from older types of water-based later: paints and solv ent-based wall paints, the new type of solvent-free water-based paint seems to be a good choice from the hygiene point of view.