Dissertations / Theses: 'Sick building syndrome (SBS)'

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Sahlberg, Bo. "Indoor Environment in Dwellings and Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) : Longitudinal Studies." Doctoral thesis, Uppsala universitet, Arbets- och miljömedicin, 2012. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-172769.

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People spend most of their time indoors and mostly in the dwelling. It is therefore important to investigate associations between indoor exposure in dwellings and health. Symptoms that may be related to the indoor environment are sometimes referred to as the "sick building syndrome" (SBS). SBS involves symptoms such as eye, skin and upper airway irritation, headache and fatigue. Three longitudinal studies and one prevalence study on personal and environmental risk factors for SBS in adults were performed. The prevalence study included measurements of indoor exposures in the dwellings. The longitudinal studies, with 8-10 years follow-up time, showed that smoking and indoor paint emissions were risk factors for SBS. Moreover, building dampness and moulds in dwellings were risk factors for onset (incidence) of general symptoms, skin symptoms and mucosal symptoms. In addition subjects living in damp dwellings have a lower remission of general symptoms and skin symptoms. Hay fever was a risk factor for onset of skin symptoms and mucosal symptoms, and asthma was a risk factor for onset of general and mucosal symptoms. Biomarkers of allergy and inflammation (bronchial reactivity, total IgE, ECP and eosinophil count) were predictors of onset of SBS symptoms, in particular mucosal symptoms. In the prevalence study, any SBS-symptom was associated with some individual volatile organic compounds of possible microbial origin (MVOC) e.g. 2-pentanol, 2-hexanon, 2-pentylfuran and 1-octen-3ol. Moreover, there were associations between indoor levels of formaldehyde and the plasticizer Texanol and any SBS. The result from the study indicates that individual MVOC are better indicators of SBS than the total value of MVOC. A final conclusion is that smoking, dampness and moulds and emissions from indoor painting may increase the onset of SBS. The indoor environment in dwellings over time has improved, but there is still a need for further improvements of the indoor environment in dwellings. More longitudinal SBS studies are needed.

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Wang, Chengju. "Energy use and energy saving in buildings and asthma, allergy and sick building syndrome (SBS): a literature review." Thesis, Högskolan i Gävle, Energisystem och byggnadsteknik, 2019. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hig:diva-30086.

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Energy use in buildings is an important contribution to global CO2 emissions and contributes to global warming. In recent years, there has been concern about creating energy efficiency buildings, green buildings and healthy buildings but this development needs guidance by multidisciplinary scientists and experts. Since energy saving can influence the indoor environment in different ways, epidemiological research is needed in different climate zones to evaluate the health consequences of making the buildings more energy efficient. Epidemiological studies and modelling studies are available on health effects and indoor effects of energy conversation, improved thermal insulation, increased air tightness and creating green buildings. The health-related literature on this issue was reviewed, by searching scientific articles in the medical Database PubMed and in the general database Web of Science as well as Nature database. In this literature review, 53 relevant peer reviewed articles on health effects of energy use and energy saving were found. Most of the studies had investigated residential buildings. One main conclusion from the review is that combined energy efficiency improvements in buildings can be associated with improvement of general health, such as less asthma, allergies, sick building syndrome (SBS) symptoms, respiratory symptoms, and reduced cold-related and heat-related mortality. Moreover, combined energy efficiency improvements can improve indoor air quality, increase productivity and satisfaction and reduce work leave and school absence. Effective heating of buildings can reduce respiratory symptoms and reduce work leave and school absence. However, some potential health problems can occur if increased energy efficiency will reduce ventilation flow. Energy saving by increasing air tightness or reducing ventilation is associated with impaired indoor air quality and negative health effects. In contrast, improved ventilation may reduce SBS, respiratory symptoms and increase indoor air quality. Installation of mechanical ventilation can solve the negative effects of making the building construction in dwellings more air tight. In future research, more studies are needed on health impacts of single energy efficiency improvement methods. Existing studies have mostly used a combination of improvement methods. In addition, modelling software programs should more often be used, since they can take into account effects of different energy efficiency improvement methods on indoor air quality in different types of buildings and in different climates.

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Engvall, Karin. "A Sociological Approach to Indoor Environment in Dwellings : Risk factors for Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) and Discomfort." Doctoral thesis, Uppsala : Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis : Univ.-bibl. [distributör], 2003. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-3506.

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Glas, Bo. "Methodological aspects of unspecific building related symptoms research." Doctoral thesis, Umeå : Institutionen för folkhälsa och klinisk medicin, Umeå universitet, 2010. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-30640.

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Runeson, Roma. "Personality, Stress, and Indoor Environmental Symptomatology." Doctoral thesis, Uppsala : Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis : Univ.-bibl. [distributör], 2005. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-5899.

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6

Dorn, Ross D. (Ross Dickinson) 1967. "Sick building syndrome : challenges and opportunities." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1998. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/65711.

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Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture, 1998. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 88-92). Case studies of three office buildings were undertaken in order to determine whether the phenomenon known as 'sick building syndrome' (SBS) creates a lasting economic stigma after a proven or alleged SBS problem is corrected, and whether undertaking preventive measures against factors known to cause SBS at the development stage is a prudent investment of additional resources. by Ross D. Dorn. S.M.

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Lundin, Lena. "On building-related causes of the sick building syndrome." Doctoral thesis, Stockholm : Almqvist & Wiksell international, 1991. http://catalogue.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/cb40221734q.

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Burt, Tyrrell S. "The sick building syndrome : thermal, acoustic and other aspects /." Stockholm, 1999. http://www.lib.kth.se/abs99/burt0409.html.

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Jaakkola, Jouni J. K. "Sick building syndrome : the phenomenon and its air-handling etiology." Thesis, McGill University, 1995. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=29048.

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This thesis studied empirically the air-handling etiology of the nonspecific symptoms of the eyes, respiratory tract, skin, and central nervous system in office workers, often termed the sick building syndrome. The results of a four-period crossover trial in 75 office workers suggest that 70% air recirculation when accompanied by an adequate intake of outdoor air can be used without causing adverse effects. A cross-sectional study of 2678 workers in 41 randomly selected office buildings from Helsinki metropolitan area provides evidence that mechanical ventilation, air conditioning, steam and evaporative humidification and air recirculation are risk indicators of studied symptoms in the existing Finnish office building stock. The results also suggest that outdoor-air ventilation rates below the optimal (15-25 L/s per person) increase the risk of the sick building syndrome symptoms with such sources of pollutants as present in mechanically ventilated office buildings. Theoretical examination reveals that the sick building syndrome is a figurative concept of everyday language, rather than a singular disease entity. A theoretical model, the Office Environment Model, is presented to explain relations between the office environment and health.

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Wang, Tong. "The sick building syndrome : a study of some contributing factors." Thesis, University of Surrey, 1995. http://epubs.surrey.ac.uk/843508/.

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The Sick building syndrome (SBS) is a complex symptomology of individuals related to the adverse effects of indoor environment on health. Although almost any workplace can be affected it is most often associated with the office environment. The causes of SBS are not well understood, no single factor or agent has been identified. Some studies have indicated that SBS may be a result of multiple factors, including chemical, biological, physical, psychosocial, and occupational variables. One such variable, environmental tobacco smoke, has not been properly investigated as a contributing cause, and may be related to chemical sensitivity (CS). Some authors consider that victims of the SBS may be an example of chemical sensitivity and further that some CS patients become sensitive to electromagnetic fields (EMF) or electromagnetic radiations (EMR). The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of these potentially contributing factors to the sick building syndrome. 722 people in fifteen buildings with different ventilation systems were investigated via self-administrated questionnaires, in which data of SBS symptoms and ETS exposure and other information were collected. The results indicated that the combination of ETS exposure and working in air-conditioned office buildings contributed to the SBS symptoms in both uni-variate analysis, and multiple regression analysis, but neither of these variables individually has a significant effect on SBS. The contribution of environmental tobacco smoke is therefore considered to be small, but may be a contributing factor when taken together with other variables with air-conditioned buildings. In order to test the possible effects of electromagnetic fields on chemical sensitivity, 47 patients (19 sensitive to both electromagnetic fields and chemicals and 28 sensitive to chemicals only), and 34 controls were tested with sinusoidal uniform magnetic fields using Helmhotz coils in a single-blinded design study. The effects of exposure were tested by measurement of a number of physiological variables. Short time exposure to weak uniform sinusoidal magnetic fields at extremely low frequencies did not trigger more symptoms in chemical sensitivity patients than in controls. Significant changes in blood pressure and some parameters of pupil light reflexes were found in both CS patients and controls. Results indicate that ELF electromagnetic radiation may have an excitation effects on the sympathetic nervous system; however neither electrically sensitive nor chemically sensitive patients were more sensitive in these effects than controls. The contribution of tobacco smoke and ELF electromagnetic radiation to the cause of sick building symptoms needs further quantitative investigations.

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Thörn, Åke. "The emergence and preservation of sick building syndrome : research challenges of a modern age disease /." Stockholm, 1999. http://diss.kib.ki.se/1999/91-628-3555-6/.

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Crawford, Joanne O. "Sick building syndrome and its interaction with occupational stress and lighting." Thesis, University of Surrey, 1994. http://epubs.surrey.ac.uk/843870/.

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Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) has been defined as a variety of symptoms (including lethargy, headache, sore, dry eyes, nasal congestion and chest problems) associated with occupancy of certain buildings. The thesis aimed to look at a number of areas of SBS including the use of surveys, stress and SBS and the interaction of lighting with SBS. The first area examined was a survey of two buildings to ascertain what the occupants attributed their health complaints to. It was found that there was a high prevalence of symptoms in both buildings but it was not possible to attribute health complaints to any direct cause. The survey suggested that the interaction between different environmental and personal factors had an effect on symptom prevalence but it is still ambiguous as to what factors are causing specific health problems. The second area of research examined SBS and occupational stress among emergency control room staff. Using questionnaire data, environmental surveys, sickness absence data and an occupational stress questionnaire it was found firstly that ill health was attributed on the whole to air quality. Other symptoms also found were those associated commonly with shift work (indigestion and sleep problems). The research also found that there was a stress effect occurring at work but this was due to organisational and managerial stress and not job stress. It was not possible to assess how much the stress effect was affecting SBS symptom reporting. There were no common patterns found in sickness absence but the recording methods used by companies were inadequate to collect data relating to SBS. The final area of research examined SBS and lighting. Two experiments were carried out to compare health responses, stress and arousal levels, critical flicker fusion and choice reaction times. Two experimental conditions were used, the first, warm white fluorescent lighting, the second full-spectrum fluorescent lighting. No significant differences were found in either of the lighting conditions.

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Pommer, Linda. "Oxidation of terpenes in indoor environments : A study of influencing factors." Doctoral thesis, Umeå University, Ecology and Environmental Science, 2003. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-29.

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In this thesis the oxidation of monoterpenes by O3 and NO2 and factors that influenced the oxidation were studied. In the environment both ozone (O3) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) are present as oxidising gases, which causes sampling artefacts when using Tenax TA as an adsorbent to sample organic compounds in the air. A scrubber was developed to remove O3 and NO2 prior to the sampling tube, and artefacts during sampling were minimised when using the scrubber. The main organic compounds sampled in this thesis were two monoterpenes, alfa-pinene and delta-3-carene, due to their presence in both indoor and outdoor air. The recovery of the monoterpenes through the scrubber varied between 75-97% at relative humidities of 15-75%.The reactions of alfa-pinene and delta-3-carene with O 3, NO2 and nitric oxide (NO) at different relative humidities (RHs) and reaction times were studied in a dark reaction chamber. The experiments were planned and performed according to an experimental design were the factors influencing the reaction (O3, NO2, NO, RH and reaction times) were varied between high and low levels. In the experiments up to 13% of the monoterpenes reacted when O3, NO2, and reaction time were at high levels, and NO, and RH were at low levels. In the evaluation eight and seven factors (including both single and interaction factors) were found to influence the amount of alfa-pinene and delta-3-carene reacted, respectively. The three most influencing factors for both of the monoterpenes were the O 3 level, the reaction time, and the RH. Increased O3 level and reaction time increased the amount of monoterpene reacted, and increased RH decreased the amount reacted.A theoretical model of the reactions occurring in the reaction chamber was created. The amount of monoterpene reacted at different initial settings of O3, NO2, and NO were calculated, as well as the influence of different reaction pathways, and the concentrations of O3 and NO2, and NO at specific reaction times. The results of the theoretical model were that the reactivity of the gas mixture towards alfa-pinene and delta-3-carene was underestimated. But, the calculated concentrations of O3, NO2, and NO in the theoretical model were found to correspond to a high degree with experimental results performed under similar conditions. The possible associations between organic compounds in indoor air, building variables and the presence of sick building syndrome were studied using principal component analysis. The most complex model was able to separate 71% of the “sick” buildings from the “healthy” buildings. The most important variables that separated the “sick” buildings from the “healthy” buildings were a more frequent occurrence or a higher concentration of compounds with shorter retention times in the “sick” buildings.The outcome of this thesis could be summarised as follows;----

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Felty, Caryl Shannon. "The impact of sick building syndrome on selected variables associated with school effectiveness." W&M ScholarWorks, 1996. https://scholarworks.wm.edu/etd/1539618802.

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Using matched pairs of schools having a diagnosis of Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) and those not identified, and not having the potential of being identified as having the diagnosis, this study examined the relationship between factors assumed or determined to have an impact on a school's ability to carry out its mission as they related to the SBS diagnosis. The factors studied were student average daily attendance (ADA); students' mean standardized test scores in math and reading on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills and the Tests of Achievement and Proficiency; the need for students to take prophylactic medications; the rate of staff turnover; the percentages of short term suspensions (less than 10 days), long term suspensions (more than 10 days), and the percentage of recommendations for expulsion; as well as the impact of the public identification of a school as having a diagnosis of SBS on student ADA, mean standardized test scores in math and reading and staff turnover. A factorial ANOVA model (2 by 4) for repeated measures revealed no statistical significance for main or interaction effects on any of the six hypotheses addressed.

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賴漢忠 and Hon-chung Lai. "The control of indoor air quality in modern buildings to tackle sick building syndrome and building related illness problems." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 1994. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31252850.

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Li, Baizhan. "Assessing the influence of indoor environment of self-reported productivity in offices." Thesis, University of Reading, 1998. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.267893.

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Ibrahim, Najib Bin. "Development of the methodology for the measurement of the indoor pollutants in problem-solving research : as applied to the assessment of health hazards in office buildings." Thesis, University College London (University of London), 1996. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.321750.

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Cawthorne, Douglas. "Daylighting and occupant health in buildings." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 1995. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.390261.

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Ekstrand-Tobin, Annika. "Hälsopåverkan av åtgärder i fuktiga byggnader /." Linköping : Univ, 2003. http://www.bibl.liu.se/liupubl/disp/disp2003/tek859s.pdf.

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Hirota, Keiko School of Architecture UNSW. "Indoor air quality and post-disaster public housing: a case study of a Japanese post-disaster public housing on the effect of VOC emissions from building materials." Awarded by:University of New South Wales. School of Architecture, 2006. http://handle.unsw.edu.au/1959.4/26010.

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Since the beginning of the 20th century indoor air has produced distinctive pollution problems. The most critical pollutants in relation to indoor air quality (IAQ) are chemical contaminants which, in the form of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), have been identified as arising mainly from building materials. Conventional solutions such as ventilation systems and bake-out processes have been developed, but the IAQ problem, often reported as sick building syndrome (SBS), still persists. This study set out to establish to what extent VOCs may affect the health of occupants in a particular built environment, and how much architectural design factors, the use of particular building materials, and human activities may contribute to the problem of SBS. A further question was to establish to what extent current attempted solutions to IAQ problems, namely ventilation and bake-out, were in practice effective in a specific built environment. While previous research and attempted solutions have focused on work places as areas of concern for SBS, the problem is especially significant in residential housing and is particularly concentrated in post-disaster public housing (PDPH). For this reason the research was based on the case of a PDPH project in Abuta, Japan. To analyse the separate components of the problem, several distinct studies were undertaken. The level of pollutants in the air was analysed by means of chemical sampling of VOCs in two units of the PDPH, while the a SBS survey and assessment of the residents of the entire project, as well as interviews with the building professionals involved was designed to identify the human causes and effects of the situation. The effectiveness of the attempted solutions to the problem were considered by means of a study of the bake-out procedure, and finally an airflow simulation by computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was conducted to consider the design and ventilation features of the units in relation to IAQ. The study results have indicated that IAQ problems existed after the completion of construction. It was found that certain VOC levels were far above the guidelines, and the health hazard symptoms known for these VOCs matched the SBS symptoms found in participants??? health complaints. Interviews with building professionals involved in the project revealed that the lifestyles of the occupants were not seriously considered in the project design. The results of the airflow simulation also revealed problematic aspects of the planning design, exacerbating rather than limiting the pollution problem as intended. The study concludes with a number of recommendations for taking these inter-related aspects of the problem into consideration in future, so that the health of residents is not adversely affected.

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Chu, Suk-ling, and 朱淑玲. "Impact of indoor air pathogens on human health." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 1996. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31253362.

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Ugursal, Ahmet. "Integration Of Natural Ventilation To Office Building Typology In The Ankara Context: A Case Study." Master's thesis, METU, 2003. http://etd.lib.metu.edu.tr/upload/1042720/index.pdf.

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Together with a global concern for the reduction and conservation of energy, the oil crisis of 1973 brought about a turning point in the design of buildings. Responses in this vein were mostly concentrated on the simplistic one of sealing the building against outdoor conditions. This approach towards energy consumption, associated with the introduction of air-conditioning systems, led to different problems such as Sick Building Syndrome. Lack of user satisfaction also appeared to be a common complaint in such sealed, air-conditioned buildings, leading to a marked drop in employee efficiency and, hence, return on capital investments. In this study, Emek iShani, a sealed office building located in Ankara, whose curtain wall system was renovated in 2001, was investigated in terms of its natural ventilation potential under two sub-topics. With a survey conducted, user perception towards environmental conditions, and health problems they suffered were investigated. With a computer simulation, natural ventilation potential of the building in terms of energy consumption was examined. It was resulted from the survey that building occupants have serious health problems. They are also not satisfied with the way the ventilation system functions and most of the occupants liked to have a window opening to outside in order to adjust the inner conditions. It was resulted from the computer simulation that integration of natural ventilation did not make any significant difference in the annual energy consumption of the building. On the other hand, cooling loads of the building were eliminated in summer months. As a result, introduction of natural ventilation appeared to be an appropriate tool for more user satisfaction and energy conservation.

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Eulitz, Theresa P. "Untersuchungen zum Verlauf des konjunktivalen Status bei Hunden unter Bedingungen eines stationären Aufenthaltes." Doctoral thesis, Universitätsbibliothek Leipzig, 2011. http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bsz:15-qucosa-68355.

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O'Brien, Geraldine. "Aspergillus parasiticus and Coriolus versicolor growth studies in the presence of naphthalene and formaldehyde : fungal growth as a source of, and monitoring system for, sick building syndrome." Thesis, Glasgow Caledonian University, 2003. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.289509.

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Nilsson, Anders. "Novel Technique for Analysing Volatile Compounds in Indoor Dust : Application of Gas Chromatography – UV Spectrometry to the Study of Building-Related Illness." Doctoral thesis, Linköping : Univ, 2004. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-5199.

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Chu, Suk-ling. "Impact of indoor air pathogens on human health /." Hong Kong : University of Hong Kong, 1996. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record.jsp?B17457798.

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Stouras, Orfeas. "Indoor air quality, thermal comfort and damages assessment of four buildings in Athens." Thesis, KTH, Hållbara byggnader, 2020. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-277069.

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Nowadays individuals spend more than 85% of their total time in indoor environments, mainly at home and work. Thereby, the quality of the indoor environment plays a substantial role in human health and wellness. The four basic factors that define the perception of the indoor environment, through the senses, are the thermal comfort, the indoor air quality, the acoustical quality and the visual or lighting quality. A standard level of the above factors is ensured by the building envelope and the services systems. At the same time, the bearing structure provides the necessary resistance and durability to the construction in order to sustain the various loads without breaking down. Inevitably, over the years, all structures’ robustness declines and their functionality state degrades. For that reason, intensive provision should be given to assure the users’ safety and well-being. The objective of this study is to assess the current indoor air quality, the thermal comfort and the damages at four publicly owned buildings located in Athens, Greece. The evaluation was done through the facilities management contribution, a questionnaire survey and a technical visit – inspection where measurements were taken. Special focus was also put on the Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) and its effects. The results indicated that at 3 out of 4 buildings mainly suffer from unpleasant odors and lack of fresh air intake. Therefore, the installation of mechanical ventilation systems (air handling units, outdoor air processing units) combined with an effective air distribution system (confluent jet ventilation system) is suggested. Substantial building damages were detected at the cultural center (floorings, door/window openings, fungi) and specific proposals for restoration are made. Despite the existence of indicators of an unhealthy indoor environment, a direct correlation between the exposure to various pollutants and the SBS symptoms, cannot be established. The optimization of the research methodologies and the institution of new building design protocols is essential in order to overcome the SBS effects. On the whole, the questionnaire achieved to fulfil the objectives of the survey. It was comprehensible by the respondents while the outcome of the questionnaire and the inspection were consistent to each other. The questionnaire and the checklists are practical tools that could be used as a guide for future investigation in similar fields. Except for technical surveys and questionnaires, many suggestions for future maintenance of the buildings are provided aiming to retain their functionality. These proposals concern the services systems, the building envelope as well as the bearing structure of the buildings.

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Cavallius, Matilda, and Oskar Rehnstedt. "Befuktning : Installationer, processer och hälsofördelar." Thesis, KTH, Byggteknik och design, 2017. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-215298.

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Det finns tydliga hälsofördelar med en relativ fuktighet på 40–60% inomhus. Trots detta finns det idag inga direktiv på hur man ska styra den relativa fuktigheten inomhus. Många gånger diskuteras det kring avfuktning men i denna rapport tas befuktning upp ur ett hälsoperspektiv.I denna studie har det undersökts huruvida befuktningssystem skulle kunna användas i större utsträckning till fördel för människors hälsa.I rapporten redogörs för olika befuktningmetoder samt deras termofysiska processer - adiabatisk eller isotermisk. Dessutom undersöks vad som händer med energin i luften och vattenångan vid olika temperaturer samt vad olika relativ fuktighet har för hälsomässiga för- och nackdelar.Resultatet visar på att det finns både etablerade befuktningssystem samt ett behov av befuktning. Däremot är efterfrågan av befuktning inte speciellt stor i bostäder och branschen ställer sig negativ till befuktning i ventilationssystem. There are clear health benefits of having a relative humidity between 40–60% indoors. Despite this, there are currently no directives on what level the relative humidity should be indoors. Today dehumidification is a common matter but this report is about humidification, from a health perspective.In this study, it has been investigated whether humidification could be used to a greater extent, to the benefit of humans’ health.This report describes various humidification methods and their thermophysical processes - adiabatic and isothermal. It is also explained what happens to the energy in the air and water vapor at different temperatures and how the relative humidity affects our health at different levels.The result shows that there is a need for humidification and that there are several technical solutions available today. However, the demand is low and the industry is not very positive to the idea of humidification in ventilation systems.

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Loiba, Romuald. "Sergančio pastato sindromas, jo paplitimas ir sąsajos su sveikata." Master's thesis, Lithuanian Academic Libraries Network (LABT), 2008. http://vddb.library.lt/obj/LT-eLABa-0001:E.02~2008~D_20080902_160053-74811.

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Pasaulinės Sveikatos Organizacijos ekspertų duomenimis, besivystančiose šalyse apie 30 proc. pastatų - naujai pastatytų ir rekonstruotų - turi vadinamąjį sergančio pastato sindromą (SPS). Tokiuose pastatuose ilgai būnantys žmonės pradeda skųstis įvairiais sveikatos negalavimais. Spėjama, kad šie simptomai pasireiškia 10-30 proc. tokiuose pastatuose dirbančių žmonių. Darbo tikslas. Įvertinti darbuotojų nusiskundimų sveikatos simptomais ir darbo sąlygom pobūdį bei dažnį ir surinktus duomenis analizuoti atsižvelgiant į lytį, amžių, pareigas. Nustatyti sergančio pastato sindromo atsiradimą sąlygojančias priežastis. Tyrimo metodika. Tyrimas atliktas taikant internetinę apklausą. Anketoje buvo pateiktas 51 klausimas. Iš viso klausimyną užpildė 302 respondentai. Tai buvo suaugę, dirbantys asmenys. Rezultatai. Turinčių nusiskundimų darbo sąlygomis moterų skaičius buvo didesnis negu vyrų. Moterys dažniau jausdavo įvairius simptomus būdamos darbo vietoje. Administracines pareigas užimančių asmenų tarpe buvo mažiau besiskundžiančių darbo sąlygomis. Jie rečiau jausdavo įvairius simptomus lyginant su kitas pareigas užimančiais asmenimis. Taip pat turėjo didesnes tinkamų darbo aplinkos parametrų užtikrinimo galimybes. Reikšmingų skirtumų tarp skirtingų amžiaus grupių nebuvo nustatyta. Duomenys buvo analizuojami naudojant statistinės duomenų analizės programą „SPSS“. Išvados. Moterys turėjo daugiau nusiskundimų darbo sąlygomis bei darbo vietoje dažniau jausdavo įvairius simptomus lyginant... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] According to the data of Word Health Organization, about 30 percent of the buildings in the developing countries, both newly-built and reconstructed, have the so-called sick building syndrome (SBS). The people who spend an extended period of time in such a building tend to begin having various health complaints. It is assumed that from 10 to 30 percent of the people who work in such buildings start having such complaints. Aim of the study: to examine the nature and the frequency of the workers’ complaints regarding the health and working conditions, and to analyze the collected data accounting for such variables as sex, age and occupation; to determine the reasons which condition the occurrence of the sick building syndrome. Methods. The research was conducted using the method of online questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of 51 questions and was completed by 302 respondents. All of the respondents were working adults. Results. The number of complaints about working conditions received from women exceeded that received from men. Women reported feeling various symptoms while at work more frequently. The number of complaints about working conditions from those who held administrative positions was lower. The people from this group reported feeling various symptoms less frequently, in comparison with the people who held other positions. They also had more possibilities to assure suitable parameters of the working environment. There were no significant differences among... [to full text]

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Skuminaitė, Aistė. "Gyvenamųjų namų ekologiškos statybos ateitis Lietuvoje bei ekonominiai aspektai." Master's thesis, Lithuanian Academic Libraries Network (LABT), 2008. http://vddb.library.lt/obj/LT-eLABa-0001:E.02~2008~D_20080723_100755-82790.

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Baigiamojo magistro darbo tikslas - išanalizuoti naujų ekologiškų statybinių medžiagų ir inžinerinės įrangos iš atsinaujinančių energijos išteklių raidą pasaulyje ir jų taikymą individualių gyvenamųj�� namų statyboje, ir pateikti racionaliausius sprendimus, pritaikant juos gyvenamųjų namų statyboje Lietuvoje, atsižvelgiant į ekonominius aspektus. Šiame darbe nagrinėjama gyvenamajai žmogaus aplinkai ir sveikatai kenksmingų veiksnių įtaka, atkreipiant dėmesį į naudojamas statybines medžiagas ir inžinerinę įrangą, statant gyvenamuosius namus, ir pateikiant tradicinėms statybos technologijoms alternatyvų. Apibūdinant „žaliosios energijos“ inžinerinės įrangos ir ekologiškų statybinių medžiagų plėtrą pasaulyje, pateikiamas jų praktinis panaudojimas, statant individualiuosius gyvenamuosius namus. Atsižvelgiant į naujas statybos direktyvas, plėtojant gyvenamųjų namų ekologišką statybą Lietuvoje, šios statybos ekonominius aspektus ir Lietuvos geografines sąlygas, pateikiami labiausiai galimi ekologiškos statybos variantai Lietuvos sąlygomis. Remiantis atliktos apklausos apie gyvenamojo namo ekologišką statybą rezultatais, palyginus projektinio ekologiško gyvenamojo namo ir tradicinio skydinio gyvenamojo namo mechanines savybes ir statybos išlaidas, darbo pabaigoje pateikiamos išvados apie ekologiškos statybos būsto statybos ir rinkos perspektyvas Lietuvoje. Darbo apimtis – 84 p. teksto be priedų, 22 pav., 9 lent., 91 literatūros šaltiniai. Atskirai pridedami darbo priedai. The objective of final paper of master studies is to analyze the development of new ecological construction materials and engineer systems from renewable energy resources and its implementation in living houses construction industry, giving the most rational solutions to this construction technology implementation in Lithuania, considering the economical aspects. In this paper there are studying the influence of harmful factors to living environment and people health, taking attention to the construction materials and engineer facility that are used in living houses construction, and giving the alternatives to traditional construction technology. Defining the engineer systems of “green energy” and ecological construction materials development in the world, there are giving its practical use in living houses construction. Considering to new construction directives in Lithuania, economical aspects and geographical conditions in Lithuania, there are giving most impossible variants of living houses ecological construction in Lithuania. According to the results of questioning about ecological construction of living houses, after comparison of mechanical features and construction costs of potential ecological house and traditional living house, in the end of the work there are giving conclusion about the perspectives of ecological house construction and its market in Lithuania. Span of final paper – 84 pages of text not including appendix, 22 illustrations, 9 tables, 91 sources... [to full text]

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Lee, Kai-Yip, and 李繼業. "Indoor air pathogens and HVAC systems in office buildings." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2004. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31255929.

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Yun, Ji Sub. "Purification of Indoor Air Pollutants Utilizing Hydrophobic Adsorbents." Thesis, Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa, 2021. http://hdl.handle.net/10393/41613.

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Sick building syndrome (SBS) is a particular concern in places with inadequate ventilation and frequently attributed to chemical contaminants such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs)released from indoor sources that are frequently encountered in everyday life such as adhesives, carpeting, upholstery, manufactured wood products, copy machines, pesticides, cleaning agents inside buildings, plumbing vents, and painting. Furthermore, it is a major issue for modern human beings who spend most of their time indoors or must stay indoors for self-isolation due to special circumstances such as the coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic that occurred in 2019 and 2020. Main indoor VOCs are trichloroethylene (TCE), benzene, toluene, and para-xylene (p-xylene). In general, these compounds are not present in indoor spaces at acute concentrations, but prolonged exposure to these compounds can have chronic health effects such as allergic sensitization, increased cancer risks, and respiratory diseases. In this study, the adsorption process with various advantages has been applied to remove VOC’s using commercially available hydrophobic adsorbents. The hydrophobic adsorbents can contribute to reducing the possibility of chemical adsorption (chemisorption) of moisture from the air, which can decrease the capacity of adsorbent by clogging the pores. The adsorption of these major VOCs was investigated in this work for three major types of industrial hydrophobic adsorbents: activated carbons, zeolites, and polymer. This study will show the investigation into finding the most promising hydrophobic adsorbent for removal of TCE, benzene, toluene, and p-xylene, which are the main VOCs found indoors. The promising hydrophobic adsorbent has been determined by comparing Henry’s law constants and heat of adsorption values for the different adsorbents, which were estimated by using a concentration pulse chromatographic technique by utilizing a gas chromatograph equipped with a flame ionization detector. For all adsorbents, Henry’s law constants at room temperature of p-xylene were always the highest followed by toluene, benzene, and TCE. For all adsorbates, Henry’s law constants at room temperature of AC BPL and HiSiv 3000 were higher than the other hydrophobic adsorbents. For a developing modern society dealing with a pandemic, this study can contribute to producing the optimized gas masks and indoor filters for the removal of indoor air pollutants, which can help people who suffer from SBS. It can also help society for taking preventative actions towards dealing with SBS.

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Frühauf, Patrik. "Zařízení vzduchotechniky a kvalita vzduchu v budovách." Master's thesis, Vysoké učení technické v Brně. Fakulta stavební, 2015. http://www.nusl.cz/ntk/nusl-227751.

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This thesis deals with the relationship between HVAC systems and internal microclimate of buildings. The work discusses briefly about different components which are formulating internal microclimate. More details are then focused on the issue of microbial microclimate.

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Santos, DÃborah Macedo dos. "DiagnÃstico da sustentabilidade nas construÃÃes residenciais no municÃpio de Juazeiro do Norte/Ce com base no plano diretor de desenvolvimento urbano." Universidade Federal do CearÃ, 2013. http://www.teses.ufc.br/tde_busca/arquivo.php?codArquivo=10311.

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CoordenaÃÃo de AperfeiÃoamento de Pessoal de NÃvel Superior Formulada a hipÃtese de que o municÃpio de Juazeiro do Norte tem deixado a desejar no que diz respeito Ã sustentabilidade das construÃÃes, este trabalho pretende fazer um diagnÃstico deste municÃpio mediante o estudo de suas residÃncias jÃ consolidadas. Mesmo com comprovada relevÃncia econÃmica nas atividades da construÃÃo civil no municÃpio, a preocupaÃÃo com o planejamento, implantaÃÃo e execuÃÃo das construÃÃes parecem nÃo fazer parte da âculturaâ da maior parte da populaÃÃo local. As construÃÃes e suas tÃcnicas construtivas tem se desenvolvido com a finalidade Ãnica de prover abrigo, sem a preocupaÃÃo com uma melhor utilizaÃÃo dos recursos naturais e com a saÃde de seus ocupantes. Ã notÃrio o alto Ãndice de construÃÃes que fazem uso de ausÃncia de recuos, divisÃo de ambientes internos sem janelas para Ãrea externa, exaustÃo de diversos gazes e compostos orgÃnicos volÃteis que poluem a atmosfera e reduzem a saÃde dos seres vivos, descarte de Ãguas servidas nas ruas, alto consumo energÃtico, calÃadas inacessÃveis, inexistÃncia de coleta seletiva de resÃduos domiciliares, ausÃncia de Ãreas permeÃveis das Ãguas das chuvas, entre outros. Consequentemente estas residÃncias se encaixam no perfil do que se conhece por "sÃndrome do edifÃcio doente". Com base nisto, esta pesquisa Ã justificada pela busca da inserÃÃo de um desenvolvimento urbano e arquitetÃnico sustentÃvel, equilibrado, justo, acessÃvel e que provenha melhor qualidade de vida, atÃ mesmo de saÃde, para os habitantes desta cidade. A pesquisa objetiva caracterizar e analisar a evoluÃÃo das construÃÃes no municÃpio de Juazeiro do Norte sob o viÃs da sustentabilidade mediante do estudo das metodologias vigentes de avaliaÃÃo de construÃÃes sustentÃveis, da legislaÃÃo local pertinente, de amostras de plantas de residÃncias unifamiliares e da elaboraÃÃo de mapas urbanos que caracterizem as construÃÃes. Concluindo assim que o municÃpio, ao longo dos anos, em sua maioria, entra em desconformidade com as diretrizes bÃsicas de construÃÃes sustentÃveis e com seu sistema local de regularizaÃÃo, o plano diretor de desenvolvimento urbano. Hypothesized that the municipality of Juazeiro do Norte has left much to be desired with regard to the sustainability of buildings, this work aims to make a diagnostic of this municipality through the study of their homes already consolidated. Even with proven relevance in economic activities of construction in the municipality, the concern with the planning, implementation and execution of the buildings seem not to be part of the "culture" of most of the local population. The buildings and their construction techniques have been developed for the sole purpose of providing shelter, without worrying about making better use of natural resources and the health of its occupants. It is noticeable that high level constructions make no use of setbacks, divisions inside are without windows to the outside area. Various exhaust gases and volatile organic compounds pollute the atmosphere and reduce the health of living beings. The disposal of wastewater in streets, high energy consumption, inaccessible sidewalks, the lack of selective collection of household waste and the lack of permeable areas for rainwater are among some other negative conditions. Consequently, these homes fit the profile of what is known as "sick building syndrome". Based on these facts, research is justified for the pursuit of insertion of urban development and architectural sustainable, balanced, fair, and affordable homes that offer a better quality of life and even health for the inhabitants of this city. The research aims to characterize and analyze the evolution of the buildings in the city of Juazeiro under the bias of sustainability through the study of current evaluation methodologies for sustainable buildings, local legislation for relevant plant samples of single-family homes and mapping that characterize urban constructions. In conclusion, the city over the years mostly comes into disagreement with the basic guidelines for sustainable buildings and for the local system of regularization. Therefore the master plan for urban development is required to improve the quality of the municipality.

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Silva, Ana Flávia Silveira. "Avaliação da qualidade ambiental interior de um edifício climatizado artificialmente com ênfase na análise do conforto térmico." Universidade de São Paulo, 2010. http://www.teses.usp.br/teses/disponiveis/18/18138/tde-28122010-131829/.

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Ocupantes de ambientes internos climatizados artificialmente estão expostos contínua e prolongadamente a condições ambientais muitas vezes desfavoráveis à execução de suas atividades e à manutenção da saúde. O objetivo desta pesquisa foi avaliar alguns parâmetros de qualidade do ar interior e de conforto térmico de um edifício climatizado artificialmente e relacioná-los à utilização de sistema de condicionamento de ar com distribuição pelo piso em ambientes que não são caracterizados como escritórios abertos. Considerando que o edifício estudado apresenta usos distintos de seus pavimentos, optou-se pela avaliação de dois deles, um pavimento cujo layout é de salas de aula e outro de escritório semi-aberto. Os parâmetros foram analisados em três momentos distintos. O primeiro se caracteriza por três ciclos semestrais de medições de temperatura, umidade relativa e velocidade do ar, concentração de aerossóis, dióxido de carbono e fungos. A segunda etapa consiste em uma campanha única de medições, com duração de quatro dias, permitindo a realização de perfis de temperatura e umidade relativa, avaliação das velocidades do ar em pontos de desconforto e cálculo dos índices de conforto térmico PMV (Predicted Mean Vote) e PPD (Predicted Percentage of Dissatisfied). Em um terceiro e último momento, aplicou-se o questionário de qualidade ambiental interior aos ocupantes de ambos os pavimentos. Resultados obtidos nos ciclos permitiram identificar concentrações de fungos e dióxido de carbono acima dos limites indicados. Os perfis de temperatura revelaram a predominância das mesmas abaixo do recomendado. O cálculo dos índices PMV e PPD apontaram para um cenário de maior conforto térmico nos ambientes estudados com temperatura operativa igual a 24 graus Celsius. Os resultados dos questionários corroboraram as medições de temperatura, indicando a prevalência das sensações térmicas relacionadas ao frio entre os ocupantes do edifício, em especial aqueles do sexo feminino. Ficou evidenciado que o conforto térmico nos ambientes pesquisados é um fator perturbador das atividades exercidas em ambos os pavimentos. Houve um grande número de relatos de ocupantes com sintomas típicos da Síndrome dos Edifícios Doentes (SED), sugerindo que medidas relativas à qualidade ambiental devem ser tomadas em prol da saúde, bem estar e produtividade dos ocupantes do edifício. Concluiu-se que a operação e manutenção do sistema de condicionamento de ar com insuflamento pelo piso em ambientes distintos de escritórios abertos são mais complexas e, por isso, dificultam o alcance de uma qualidade ambiental interior satisfatória. Occupants of artificially conditioned indoor spaces are continuously and lengthily exposed to environmental conditions mostly adverse to their activities performance and health maintenance. The purpose of this research was to evaluate some indoor air quality and thermal comfort parameters of an artificially conditioned building, and relate them to the employment of underfloor air conditioning system in spaces that differ from open-plan office spaces. Considering the studied building presents different activities on each of its floors it was necessary to choose two of them, one characterized by classrooms layout and the other by a semi open-plan office layout. The on-site data collection took place in three different steps. Step one was distinguished by three six-month cycles of air temperature, relative humidity and air velocity measurements, and fungi, particulate matter and carbon dioxide concentrations. The second step consisted of a four-day single campaign of measurements, when air temperature and relative humidity profiles were carried out, air velocity was quantified in complaining areas, and the Predicted Mean Vote (PMV) and Predicted Percentage of Dissatisfied (PPD) thermal comfort indexes were determined. During the third and last step, indoor environmental quality questionnaire surveys were distributed to the occupants of both studied floors. Data analysis and assessment originated from the cycles identified exceeding fungi and carbon dioxide concentrations. Temperature profiles indicated their prevalence below the recommended range. PMV and PPD indexes determination pointed to a scenery of best thermal environmental conditions for the researched spaces, with an operative temperature of 24 Celsius degrees. The results of the questionnaire surveys supported the air temperature measurements, showing supremacy of cold related thermal sensations among the occupants, especially those of female gender. It was evident that the thermal comfort of the studied environments is a disturbing factor for the activities practiced on both floors. There was a great number of occupants reporting Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) typical symptoms, what suggested actions related to indoor environmental quality should be taken in order to provide the desired health, welfare and productivity for the building occupants. It was conclusive that the operation and maintenance of underfloor air conditioned systems in indoor environments unlike open-plan offices are more complex and therefore make it harder to reach an acceptable indoor environmental quality.

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ŠVADLENKOVÁ, Radka. "Problematika syndromu nemocných budov (SBS) v pracovním prostředí kancelářských prostor v Českých Budějovicích, zdravotní důsledky a možnosti prevence." Master's thesis, 2010. http://www.nusl.cz/ntk/nusl-53473.

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A modern person spends most time closed inside houses, offices, schools and other institutions, and if he feels unwell or experiences accute health and comfort effects, his every day life can be highly influenced both mentally and physically. Most symptoms of illnesses or indispositions appear in people living or working inside buildings for no apparent reason. Having left the building, health problems often diminish or even disappear. The complaints mostly include irritation of eye mucous membranes, upper and lower airways and skin, hypersensitiveness, mental and physical fatique, stomach upset and diziness. It is known as a ``sick building syndrome``. ``Sick building syndrome`` (SBS) results into significant decrease of human performance and frequent absences. However, it can lead to worse interpersonal relations, often connected with lower productivity of labour. ``Sick building syndrome`` has been known for many years. Its occurence is numerous but the cause for it have not yet been revealed. More negative factors seem to coincide. The positive moment is that many people are aware of the problem so many new SBS studies and publications have appeared recently. This diploma thesis consists of two parts. The first one, theoretical, and the other is practical. The practical part is focused on research work. The goal of my thesis was to compare a modern air-conditioned building with an older one, without air-conditioning while observing the SBS symptoms which appeared in office occupants in České Budějovice. I also investigated public awareness of this problem together with other issues related. I consider the findings very contributive to professionals in this field, the National Institute of Public Health and common population interested in the problem.

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Truter, R. M. "A technological systems approach to the sick building syndrome." Thesis, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10210/11714.

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M.Tech. (Building Science) A cross sectional survey was conducted in an air-conditioned building and a naturally ventilated building to establish the prevalence of Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) in these Johannesburg buildings. Numerous studies conducted in other countries have found that the prevalence of SBS symptoms are usually higher in sealed airconditioned buildings than naturally ventilated buildings. The study was conducted in two stages namely a questionnaire and indoor environmental survey which was conducted in both buildings. The results of the questionnaire survey showed that: ' All symptom prevalences in both building populations were very closely related, however the SBS symptoms in building B were more common than air-conditioned building. The indoor environmental survey measured the following parameters: carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, nitric oxide, total nitrogen oxides, total non methane hydrocarbons, respirable dust, asbestos, sound levels. No measurements were above any threshold limit values or relevant scientifically acceptable standards, however in the air-conditioned building levels of some pollutants were higher than the naturally ventilated building. The study found that the prevailences of SBS type symptoms in the naturally ventilated building were higher than those in the air-conditioned building. The type of building population could also affect the outcome as has been found by researchers in the United Kingdom. The predominant population in the naturally ventilated building consisted of government employees which could have affected symptom prevalence.

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Lu, Chung-Yen. "Evaluation of Sick Building Syndrome and Urinary 8-Hydroxydeoxyguanosine in Office Workers." 2007. http://www.cetd.com.tw/ec/thesisdetail.aspx?etdun=U0001-2901200712053600.

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Liu, Yi-Chun, and 劉怡君. "Environment with Plastic Building Materials, 2-Ethyl-1-hexanol and Microorganisms Related to Sick Building Syndrome." Thesis, 2008. http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/85755671429436762966.

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碩士 國立臺灣大學 環境衛生研究所 97 The possible health effect caused by plastic building materials that are getting popular in indoor environment, have been noticed. This study aims at disclosing sick building syndrome associated with 2-ethyl-1-hexanol, microorganisms and other factors such as ventilation, temperature, humidity, total volatile organic compounds and total suspended particulates in environment with the usage of plastic building materials. A questionnaire survey was administrated for investigating the prevalence of sick building syndrome; 2-ethyl-1-hexanol and microorganisms (bacteria, fungi) were sampled and analyzed; other environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, total volatile organic compounds and total suspended particulates were measured by direct-reading instruments. The results indicated that, the prevalence of sick building syndrome was 40.7% when using "three or more symptoms affected by environment" as a diagnosis base; the prevalence of sick building syndrome was 66.5% when using "the symptoms became better when leaving uncomfortable environment " as a diagnosis base. People felt uncomfortable in the environment installed with plastic carpet that was a significantly risk factor after adjusted for sick building syndrome. Major uncomfortable complaints were mucous membrane irritation involved in uncomfortable eyes, nose and throat. The mean concentration of 2-ethyl-1-hexanol in the room installed with carpet was 65.1 μg/m3 that was significantly higher than in the room without plastic carpet (p<0.01). During two sampling periods, schooling time and winter vacation, the concentrations of 2-ethyl-1-hexanol significantly correlated with the concentrations of Penicillium (β=0.51, p<0.05); the concentrations of 2-ethyl-1-hexanol in small classrooms significantly high (211.3 μg/m3, p<0.01); the concentrations of 2-ethyl-1-hexanol also significantly correlated with temperature (β=0.64, p=0.03) and total bacteria (β=0.71, p=0.02), respectively, when the factors of “people” and “the condition of ventilating” are excluded. In conclusion, the plastic carpet, ventilation, volume of room, temperature and microorganisms in indoor environment would affect the concentration of 2-ethyl-1-hexanol that probably relate to the prevalence of sick building syndrome. Thus, reducing the use of plastic building materials for inner decoration and providing adequate ventilation can decrease the concentrations of 2-ethyl-1-hexanol in indoor environment.

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Hsiu-HaoLiang and 梁修豪. "Exploration for biomarkers of sick building syndrome: feasibility study of allostatic load model." Thesis, 2012. http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/61814369782608728370.

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碩士 國立成功大學 環境醫學研究所 100 Abstract Sick building syndromes (SBS) include a group of non-specific symptoms, usually disappearing after leaving the suspected environments. Meanwhile, personal stress is also linked to reporting symptoms almost identical to those mentioned above. To assess the SBS, most studies have either taken the approach of questionnaires interview, or by measuring 8-OHdG levels only. None of the above can be considered to serve as a comprehensive surrogate for SBS severity. Allostatic load model, on the other hand, has been reported as an objective biomarker to reflect the effect of environmental exposure or personal stress. This study therefore aimed to assess the feasibility of using allostatic load model to characterize SBS and to examine the potential associations among environmental concentrations, personal factors and biomarkers of interest (8-OHdG). Health indicators and bio-samples (saliva and urine) were collected for 70 subjects, some of which were used to calculate allostatic Score. The quality of indoor air where these subjects worked was also measured. Results showed that allostatic load scores were significantly correlated with total culturable fungi, and 8-OHdG levels were with relative humidity and light intensity. No significant relations were found between allostatic load score and reporting SBS, but effect of metabolic system included in allostatic load model was positively associated with SBS. Association between 8-OHdG levels and reporting SBS was of no significance. Based on the study results, we proposed a model for estimating SBS severity as the following: SBS index= 0.311*forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1, L)+0.276*creatinine (mg/dl) +0.189*norepinephrine (μg/g creatinine)+0.117*working hour (hr)-0.426*gender (female as 0, male as 1)-0.321*race (han as 1, nonhan as 2) (R2=0.401, p=0.001). This study was the first study to characterize the relation among allostatic load scores, reporting SBS, and environmental factors.

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Shadwell, Anthony. "Stress and the sick building syndrome : biopsychosocial health-related variables affecting workers employed in urban places where live or discotheque musical entertainment is provided." Thesis, 1995. http://hdl.handle.net/10413/7909.

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This is the first time that multidisciplinary research has been conducted in South African music venues. The study investigated biopsychosocial health-related variables affecting workers in music venues giving special attention to sick building syndrome. Monitoring methodologies developed for this investigation can be applied in studies of a wide range of workplace environments. This study also resulted in the design of a questionnaire which provided interpretable data within statistical significance limits. The literature review fully describes the multidisciplinary nature of this research. Long established non-smoking offices were selected as controls. An environmental monitoring system was designed to record conditions whilst questionnaires on staff perceptions were personally administered. Psychosocial variables included job satisfaction, self-esteem, personal confidence and social interaction.Environmental comfort assessments included lighting, carbon dioxide, movement, temperature, relative humidity levels and air movement. Pollution impact monitoring involved noise, respirable aerosols, benzene, toluene, xylene, benzo(a)pyrene, total volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds. Comfort criteria were exceeded in all music venues which caused stress. Only 21,1% of respondents did not experience tiredness. Respiratory infection was higher in music venue staff than in office staff. Average age of staff in music venues was 25 years and 67,37% were smokers. Certain smokers were experiencing discomfort from tobacco smoke pollution. Tobacco smoke impact was demonstrated: mean benzene level for music venues was 12,9 u/m3 (maximum 42,44 u/m3) and in offices it was 0,606 u/m3 (maximum 1,24 u/m3). Multivariate models for sick building syndrome and allergies included tobacco smoke odour concern and the tobacco smoke indicators, xylene and toluene. Aerosol levels were 1,75 mg/m3 (maximum 45,98 mg/m3 ) in music venues compared to an office mean of 0,02 mg/m3 (maximum 0,58 mg/m3 ). Contributors were tobacco smoke and theatrical smoke. Burning eyes was the symptom causing most concern for 57,89% of respondents. Symptoms that affected 20% and more of the workers were itchy skin, throat irritation, coughing and difficulty in breathing. Tobacco smoke was considered the main stressor. Noise level mean for music venues was Neq 99,67 dB (A). Only 34,7% of the staff considered music noise a stressor, with 16,9% concerned about people noise. The percentage that considered their environment to be polluted was 81,06%, however, only 48,42% felt stressed. Virtually all univariate and multivariate associations between psychosocial and psychophysical variables suggest that satisfaction with psychosocial factors may have a positive influence on staff in places of entertainment. Thesis (M.Med.Sc.)-University of Natal, 1995.

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Kalantzis, Anastasia. "The impact of indoor plants on well-being in the workplace." Thesis, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10539/21842.

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A research project submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of MA by coursework and Research Report in the field of Organisational Psychology in the Faculty of Humanities. University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. March 2016 There is international growing evidence to support the notion that indoor planters positively impact employees’ emotional states, personal health, work engagement as well as their overall perceptions of their work environment and ultimately impacting employee productivity. However this ground-breaking research has never been conducted within a South African Work Environment. Consequently the following study adopts a quasi-experimental study in order to investigate the impact that indoor plants may have on employee physical well-being, psychological well-being, work engagement and their overall perception of their work environment. Furthermore, the researcher aimed to assess whether the employees connectedness to nature influenced the impact the plants had on them, thus assessing how this covariate may impact the relationship between the absence and presence of plants and the above mentioned dependent variables. A Sample of 32 Global Service Management Centre (GSMC) employees from an internationally recognised organisation, Business Connexion, were assessed over a period of 12 weeks. The first assessment was conducted in the no plant condition, while the final assessment was conducted once the plants were installed in the whole office area. Additionally, SE Controls were positioned throughout the office area in order to measure the fluctuations of the air quality once the planters were installed. The results of a series of Wilcoxon Sign Rank Tests as well as Spearman’s Rank Order Correlations indicated no significant results; however upon closer evaluations of the individual scale items the researcher identified several statistically significant results that were unpacked and discussed. The readings from the SE Controls indicated either an improvement or stabalisation of the air quality variables that were being assessed in the current study. GR2017

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Stenberg, Berndt. "Office illness : the worker, the work and the workplace." Doctoral thesis, 1994. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-100701.

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The work started with the clinical observations in patients working in buildings with indoor air problems. Signs of seborrhoeic dermatitis, erythematous facial skin conditions and itching conditions on the trunk were noted. Another point of departure was the attribution of facial skin symptoms to VDT work by patients. A questionnaire-based prevalence study of symptoms compatible with the Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) and facial skin symptoms in 4,943 office workers formed the basis for two case referent studies, one focusing on SBS, the other on facial skin symptoms in VDT workers. The prevalence of SBS was three times higher in women than men. The prevalence was higher in young persons and in atopies. Facial skin symptoms showed the same pattern. Psychosocial work load, paper and VDT work were also risk indicators for SBS and for skin symptoms. The symptom excess in women was analyzed with reference to differences in biological or acquired risks and different illness and reporting behaviour. In spite of inequalities in social conditions at home and at work and differences in physical working conditions, these differences could only explain a small part of the gender difference. The odds ratio for SBS in women was lowered from 3.4 in the crude analysis to 3.0 in the multivariate analysis. Effect modification was in most cases stronger in men and the clinical validation of the questionnaire refuted the hypothesis that women over-report symptoms. The results indicate that the gender difference in symptom prevalence is part of a general pattem common to psychosomatic illnesses. In the case referent study of SBS, atopy, psychosocial work load, buildings built or renovated after 1977, the presence of photocopiers and a low outdoor air flow rate were risk indicators. The association between air quality and the occurrence of SBS symptoms was demonstrated by a flow-response relation between the outdoor air flow rate and SBS symptoms. In the case referent study of skin symptoms in VDT work, psychosocial work load, electric background fields, the presence of fluorescent lights with plastic shields and low cleaning frequency were risk indicators. The clinical findings in the two case groups and their referents supported the applied relevance of the studies. Compared with the referents, the SBS cases had more work- related facial erythema, seborriioeic dermatitis and general pruritus, while skin symptom cases, had more work-related facial erythema than their referents. The results show that SBS symptoms and facial skin symptoms have a multifactorial background with constitutional, psychosocial and physical risk indicators. As the indoor air quality is a determinant of SBS symptoms, and the building itself is but one source of indoor air pollution, it is suggested that the name Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) be replaced by Indoor Air Syndrome (IAS). Diss. (sammanfattning) Umeå : Umeå universitet, 1994, härtill 5 uppsatser. digitalisering@umu

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Eulitz, Theresa P. "Untersuchungen zum Verlauf des konjunktivalen Status bei Hunden unter Bedingungen eines stationären Aufenthaltes." Doctoral thesis, 2010. https://ul.qucosa.de/id/qucosa%3A11176.

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Meintjes, Marius. "Assessment of the indoor air quality at the corporate offices of a South African mining company / Marius Meintjes." Thesis, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10394/11186.

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Abstract: The aim of the study was to evaluate the indoor air quality (IAQ) of a semi-airtight (the building only utilises mechanical means to ventilate the occupied spaces however an airtight seal is not established as a result of infiltration due to building design) office building that is situated in central Johannesburg that exclusively uses a heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) system for ventilation. This implies a system that only utilises mechanical ventilation to heat, cool, humidify and clean the air for comfort, safety and health of employees. This includes the control of odour levels, and also the maintenance of carbon dioxide (CO2) below stipulated levels. Methods: The building is divided into two sections; west and east. Each section has its own ventilation supply. A randomisation process was used to ascertain which offices needed to be sampled, in which section as well as on which floor. For this study, five offices per section were measured. Thus, ten offices per floor were measured and measurements were taken on every second floor. All measurements were done in accordance with the specific requirements of the manufacturer of any specific instrument used and measurements were taken over an eight hour period (full work shift). Results were compared to the available standard, as well as compared to the ambient concentrations. Results: None of the monitored contaminants’ concentration were above the provided standards (ASHRAE or ACGIH). Where standards were unavailable, the HVAC system maintained an indoor contaminant concentration that is substantially lower when compared to the outdoor air concentrations. Conclusion: The buildings’ HVAC system maintains indoor air quality at a healthy level it is unlikely that any one of these contaminants may lead to SBS amongst the employees. MSc (Occupational Hygiene), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

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Blom, Marjorie. "Biophilic architecture and its influence on human behaviour and well-being : a proposed urban multi-use office park development." Thesis, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10413/11123.

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Dealing with the issue of buildings showing characteristics of sick building syndrome, could result in occupants suffering negative side effects. Healthy living is a primary need for society. Everyday pollution in society has led to these negative outcomes of physical and psychological well-being of space users. When investigating factors such as natural light, colour, fresh air, visual contact with water and nature or noise pollution, it is found that exposure to such natural elements positively influences human behaviour, health and productivity in a live, work and play environment. This dissertation is aimed at developing an understanding conducted under the hypothesis of how architectural environments, through the theory of environmental psychology: a study of the relationship between natural environments, affect human behaviour and well-being. A healthy environment requires regular contact with nature promoting physical and psychological benefits, crucial to an individual’s health and happiness. By reducing sick building syndrome, it could increase performance and improve overall health and well-being. Occupants of the chosen case studies completed questionnaires through distribution and structured interviews personally conducted, focusing on a qualitative method. Assessing and evaluating the aims, objectives and key questions and understanding of how Biophilic Architecture influences human behaviour and well-being was obtained. Case (Alexander Forbes and Nedbank Ridgeview) and precedents studies (Prisma Nürnberg and Khoo Teck Paut Hospital) were investigated through Edward, O. Wilsons’ Biophilia hypothesis theory of mans affiliation with nature and incorporating it into building forms, showing how architectural design can evoke human behaviour through natural design elements. Architectural design is about humanity’s ‘sense of place’ (concept of Genius Loci) in nature and where the natural environment fits into the physical environment. Biophilic designs’ sensory rich world affects human health, productivity, emotional, intellectual and spiritual well-being, as well as reducing stress levels and eases pain. Biophilic Architecture could be the solution through a link of natural and physical environments, positively influencing human behaviour and well-being. Futuristic sustainability should have the combination of biophilic design and low environmental impact, resulting in a restorative nature based design: a true result of a positive psychological environment, a ‘sense of place,’ people want to experience, that is healthy, nurturing, and delightful to its occupants, improving the experiential quality of architectural space. Thesis (M.Arch.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2013.

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Van, Der Linde Bernadine Anine. "Exploring the employee wellness practices of SMMEs in the Gauteng region." Diss., 2018. http://uir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/25654.

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Abstracts in English, Afrikaans and Sepedi Small businesses flourish when employees are happy, healthy and productive. This makes employees an important asset of a small business because its success depends on the performance of its employees. Employee wellness practices in small medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) often focus on the physical aspects of wellbeing, despite employees wanting management to focus on their emotional needs. In view of the fact that employers do not realise that employee wellness significantly improves morale and increases retention rates, this research sought to explore the employee wellness experiences of managers and employees in SMMEs to develop an understanding of the need for employee wellness practices in these organisations. Accordingly, a qualitative study was conducted among 17 employees and four managers at three diverse industries operating in the Gauteng region of South Africa. The data were collected by means of focus groups interviews with employees and individual interviews with managers who work in SMMEs that employ less than 50 employees. The results indicated that employees consider employee wellness in terms of how well organisations treat them and take care of them. The findings demonstrated that employees depend on good working relationships to be happy and engaged in the workplace. Although management cited various financial and human resource constraints that limit employee wellness practices, the employees identified various activities and practices that were not dependent on financial resources for implementation. The results also showed there was insufficient evidence to support the notion that there is a link between unhealthy workplace conditions and higher absenteeism and staff turnover rates. The findings highlighted that employees need social interaction in order to feel valued and cared for and that this factor often outweighs the negative feelings employees have of working in unhealthy environments. Thus, employees were willing to work in unhealthy conditions as long as they felt valued by top management. The findings of the study contribute to the knowledge in the literature on employee wellness practices in SMMEs because limited studies have been conducted to demonstrate the impact of workplace conditions on employee wellness. Klein ondernemings floreer wanneer werknemers gelukkig, gesond en produktief is. Dit maak werknemers ’n belangrike bate vir ’n klein onderneming, want die onderneming se sukses hang af van die werknemers se prestasie. Werknemerwelstandpraktyke in klein-, medium- en mikro-ondernemings (KMMO’s) fokus dikwels op die fisieke aspekte van welstand, ten spyte daarvan dat werknemers wil hê bestuur moet op hul emosionele behoeftes fokus. In die lig daarvan dat werkgewers nie besef dat werknemerwelstand moraal en behoudsyfers aansienlik verbeter nie, het hierdie navorsing gepoog om die werknemerwelstand-ondervindinge van bestuurders en werknemers in KMMO’s te ondersoek om ‘n begrip van die behoefte aan werknemerwelstand-praktyke in hierdie ondernemings te ontwikkel. Ooreenkomstig hiermee is ‘n kwalitatiewe studie onderneem onder 17 werknemers en vier bestuurders by drie diverse industrieë wat in die Gauteng-omgewing in Suid-Afrika sake doen. Die data is versamel deur middel van fokusgroeponderhoude met werknemers en individuele onderhoude met bestuurders wat by KMMO’s met minder as 50 werknemers werk. Die bevindinge toon dat werknemers werknemerwelstand beoordeel volgens hoe goed organisasies hulle behandel en na hulle omsien. Die bevindinge het uitgewys dat werknemers staatmaak op goeie werksverhoudings om gelukkig en betrokke te wees in die werkplek. Hoewel bestuur verskeie finansiële en menslike hulpbron-beperkings uitgewys het wat werknemerwelstandpraktyke beperk, het die werknemers verskeie aktiwiteite en praktyke geïdentifiseer wat onafhanklik van finansiële hulpbronne geïmplementeer kan word. Die studie het ook bevind dat daar nie genoegsame bewyse is om die idee te staaf dat daar ‘n verband is tussen ongesonde werkplekomstandighede en ‘n hoër afwesigheidsyfer en personeelomset nie. Die bevindinge lig dit uit dat werknemers sosiale interaksie nodig het om gewaardeerd en na omgesien te voel en dat hierdie faktor dikwels swaarder weeg as die negatiewe gevoelens wat werknemers in ‘n ongesonde werkomgewing ervaar. Werknemers is dus bereid om in ongesonde omstandighede te werk solank hulle gewaardeerd voel deur topbestuur. Die bevindinge van die studie dra by tot die kennis in die literatuur oor werknemerwelstandpraktyke in KMMO’s aangesien studies wat die impak van werkplekomstandighede op werknemerwelstand demonstreer tot dusver beperk is. Dikgwebo tse nyane di tswella ka bokgabane ha basebetsi ba thabile, ba phetse hantle ebile ba sebelletsa ho beha ditholoana. Sena se etsa hore basebetsi e be bona ba bohlokwa haholo dikgwebong tse nyane hobane katleho ya dikgwebo tsena e dutse mahetleng a bokgabane ba basebetsi. Bophelo bo hantle ba basebetsi dikgwebong tse nyane le tse kgolwanyane (SMMEs) hangata bo tobane le bokgoni ba basebetsi ho tswellisa pele mosebetsi o behang ditholoana, empa basebetsi le bona ba batla hore ba nahanelwe ke bo ramesebetsi ka ditlhoko tsa bona tse ba amang moyeng. Bo nnete ba taba ke hore bo ramosebetsi ha ba elellwe hore bophelo bo hantle ba basebetsi bo bohlokwa hobane bo nyolla boitshwaro bo botle ba basebetsi, ebile ba dula dilemo mesebetsing ya bona. Dipatlisiso tsa pampiri ena di tlo sheba bophelo bo botle ba basebetsi ka ho lekola batshwari ba basebetsi le basebetsi mmoho dikgwebong tse nyane (SMMEs) hore bo ka tsela e jwang le ho re thusa ho utlwisisa bohlokwa ba bophelo bo hantle mesebetsing ka ho fapana. Ho fumana dintlha tsa dipatlisiso, ho kopuwe basebetsi ba leshome le metso e supileng (17) le batshwari ba basebetsi ba bane (4) mesebetsing e fapaneng Gauteng, Afrika Borwa. Ho bile le di hlopha tse fapaneng tse botsuweng dipotso hore ho tholahale dintlha ka taba ya bophelo bo hantle ba basebetsi, mme batshwari ba basebetsi ba botsuwe dipotso ka bonngwe ba bona. Dikgwebo tse nyane (SMMEs) tse nkileng phato di na le basebetsi ba ka tlase ho mashome a mahlano (50). Sephetho sa ditlatlobo tsa dipotso tse botsuweng basebetsi se bontsha hore basebetsi ba nahana hore boitshwaro bo hantle ba basebetsi bo ya ka hore mesebetsing e fapananeng batho ba hlokometswe jwang. Basebetsi ba boletse hore dikamano pakeng tsa basebetsi mmoho tse thabisang di ba loketse mesebetsing. Le ha batshwari ba Page viii basebetsi le bo radikgwebo ba lla ka hore disebediswa le ditjhelete ha di lekane hore ba tswellise pele boitshwaro bo botle ba basebetsi, basebetsi ba buile ka dintlha tse bontshang hore boitshwaro bo botle ha bo hloke tjhelete ka dinako tsohle. Sephetho se ile sa bontsha hore ha hona bopaki bo lekaneng ho bontsha hore basebetsi ba lofa mesebetsing kapa hona ho se dule dilemo mesebetsing ka lebaka la hore poleke ya bona ya mosebetsi ha e kgahlise. Dipatlisiso di bontshitse hore basebetsi ba hloka dikamano le basebetsi ba bang, ha mmoho le bo ramesebetsi hore ba ikutlwe ba kgathallwa. Dikamano tsena di etsa hore basebetsi ba phuthollohe ha ba le mesebetsing ebile ba lebale ka dintho tse sa lokang mesebetsing ya bona. Ka hoo, basebetsi ba tsotella dikamano tse ntle pakeng tsa bona le bo ramesebetsi, le ha poleke ya mosebetsi e sa thabise ha kalo. Dipatlisiso tsa pampiri ena di tlatselletsa tsebo e teng ho dithuto tsa bophelo bo hantle ba basebetsi le di tsamaiso tsa tsona dikgwebong tse nyane (SMMEs) hobane ha dingata dipampiri tse ngotsweng ka sehlooho sena ho re ruta hore boitshwaro bo botle ho basebetsi bo ama mesebetsi e fapaneng ka tsela tse jwang. Human Resource Management M. Com. (Human Resource Management)

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(5930906), Jacob J. Torres. "The Biowall Field Test Analysis and Optimization." Thesis, 2019.

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<div> A residential botanical air filtration system (Biowall) to investigate the potential for using phytoremediation to remove contaminants from indoor air was developed. A full scale and functioning prototype was installed in a residence located in West Lafayette, Indiana. The prototype was integrated into the central Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system of the home. This research evaluated the Biowall operation to further its potential as an energy efficient and sustainable residential air filtration system. The main research effort began after the Biowall was installed in the residence. A field evaluation, which involved a series of measurements and data analysis, was conducted to identify treatments to improve Biowall performance. The study was conducted for approximately one year (Spring 2017-Spring 2018). Based on the initial data set, prioritization of systems in need of improvement was identified and changes were imposed. Following a post-treatment testing period, a comparison between the initial and final performances was completed with conclusions based on this comparison. The engineering and analysis reported in this document focus on the air flow path through the Biowall, plant growth, and the irrigation system. The conclusions provide an extensive evaluation of the design, operation, and function of the Biowall subsystems under review. </div>

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Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Sick building syndrome (SBS)'

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