Linking indoor particulate matter and black carbon with sick building syndrome symptoms in a public office building

Poor indoor air quality is an important issue for public and occupational health worldwide. Location, air-tightness of the building, ventilation rate and resident activities play an important role on the concentration of indoor pollutants and subsequently on their effects on human health. While indoor air pollution in working environments has been widely studied, the association between specific pollutants and Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) symptoms is still not clear. The objective of this study is to explore the association between PM_2.5 and BC with SBS symptoms reported by employees working in a public building in the center of Athens, Greece. Continuous indoor air quality measurements were carried out from March until May 2016 (24 h, 7 days per week), including days during a Saharan dust event in March 2016. The measurements took place in four different types of spaces, including an office, a printer room and two archiving rooms, representing both high and low exposure environments. Indoor PM_2.5 and BC concentrations in the office ranged from 5.9 to 14.3 μg/m³ and 1.1–1.9 μg/m³, respectively, whereas outdoor PM_2.5 and BC concentrations were in the range of 6.5–21.7 μg/m³ and 1.4–2.6 μg/m³, respectively. We observed diurnal variations in indoor/outdoor ratios of PM_2.5 and BC in most rooms that were >1 during working hours, that subsequently fell to below unity after working hours. Data collected via a questionnaire to 73 employees showed that the most commonly reported SBS symptoms were irritation of the eyes, a stuffy or runny nose, headache and drowsiness. Female employees were more likely to report SBS symptoms than male employees, especially nonspecific symptoms, including “unusual tiredness or fatigue” and “feeling depressed”.