The Jakarta Globe, Dessy Sagita, February 19, 2009
Half of Jakarta’s office workers may suffer from “sick building syndrome,” or SBS, in which health problems are blamed on toxic substances inside buildings, according to the results of a study released on Wednesday.
The study, conducted by the Association of Public Health Experts, or IAKMI, monitored.
400 people in 18 companies from July 2008 to January 2009. It found that half of all workers who spend at least eight hours a day in an office building have experienced acute discomfort, including headaches, respiratory problems, fatigue, dry cough and sore throats.
According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, SBS is a situation “in which building occupants experience acute health and comfort effects that appear to be linked to time spent in a building, but no specific illness or cause can be identified.”
A 1984 World Health Organization Committee report said up to 30 percent of new buildings worldwide may be the subject of air-quality complaints, the EPA says.
“Many people do not realize that staying in a building for a certain period will expose them to sick building syndrome, which poses potentially fatal risks in the long term,” said Budi Haryanto, head of environmental health studies for IAKMI.
Budi said SBS was caused by flawed ventilation and air-conditioning systems that produce molds and fungus. Dirty indoor air can also be aggravated by photocopy machines, laser printers and other machines, as well as dirt in carpets, curtains and furniture.
Budi said long-term exposure to pollutants could lead to cancer and heart disease, while less severe symptoms may result in difficulty concentrating, paranoia and even depression. “It may sound harmless but over the long term it can be fatal,” Budi said.
Budi said that the problem was aggravated in Jakarta by outdoor air pollution.
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