Ozone, sick buildings linked

A team of researchers at the U.S. Dept. of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory has found evidence that the prevalence of building-related symptoms (BRS) increases with increasing outdoor concentrations of the pollutant ozone. They also have discovered that the type of air filter that some buildings use in their ventilation systems also may play a role in the prevalence of BRS.

The team found that the combination of higher outdoor ozone levels and the use of a polyester or other synthetic filter correlates with a statistically significant increase in the prevalence of BRS compared to other types of air filters. This filter showed a significant association with lower and upper respiratory symptoms, cough, sore eyes, fatigue, and headache.

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