Office Workers' Sick Building Syndrome and Indoor Carbon Dioxide Concentrations

This study attempted to determine whether any association exists between sick building syndrome (SBS) and indoor carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations. We evaluated SBS among 111 office workers in August and November 2003. The environmental conditions in the office, including CO2 concentrations, temperature, relative humidity, and fine particulatematter (PM2.5), were continuously monitored. The most prevalent symptoms of the five SBS groups were eye irritation and nonspecific and upper respiratory symptoms. The generalized estimating equation (GEE) models show that workers exposed to indoor CO2 levels greater than 800 ppm were likely to report more eye irritation or upper respiratory symptoms.