Sick Building Syndrome: Towards Safer andudHealthier Living and Working Environments inudBuildings( A Case Study of a Higher Institution inudNigeria)

摘要

Safety in buildings today can no longer be takenudfor granted nor considered purely from the point of view ofudprevention of building collapse and other structural failuresudbut must now cover wider issues of prevention of homeudaccident and protection from the hazards of microbial livesudthat are invading our home and working environments asudthese find environments more and more conducive for theirudgrowth and multiplication. Consequently, we are now sharingudour living and working environments with some bacteria inudspaces created by design, construction methods, wrong use ofudmaterials, poor usage by occupants, or a combination of all ofudthese. This paper therefore examined some buildings for "sickudbuilding syndrome" to determine their state on our healthudconditions with respect to the level of dangers that might beudimposed by them. Samples were taken of some stains on theudwalls of some of these buildings to establish their true natureudand confirm whether or not they are merely harmless growthudthat might just be dusted off. These samples were taken to theudmicrobiology laboratory for analysis and identificationudpurposes. The results showed that the samples are not justudmere harmless stains to ignore in that they contain evidence ofudactive and harmful microbial lives that can constitute healthudhazard to the occupants. These microorganisms wereudidentified, their concentrations determined and the conditionudthat will support their growth was investigated.udMicroorganisms found/identified to be growing within theudbuilding elements of construction, such as insulation materialsudor wood construction parts and block-wall includes suchudbacteria as straphylococus aurens, Bacillus spp, andudPseudomonas spp. In addition four fungi genera were isolatedudfrom swab samples of visible growth on the walls and underudvinyl wall coverings. These fungi genera were AspergillusudFlavus, Mucor, Penicillium spp, and Cladosporium spp. Theudstudy therefore concluded that the growths that we see on ourudwalls and other building elements might be more than justudstains of harmless nature but bacteria and/or fungal generaudassociated with sick building syndrome dangerous to healthyudliving and making our buildings unsafe for human habitation.udIn certain cases these conditions can be avoided during theuddevelopment process or may need special attention for theiruderadication by use of special chemicals yet to be developed.Hasty painting over such growth might just be providingudadditional growth nutrients for further multiplication.