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Australian IAQ |
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Rather then let the American subscribers to this list feel that they are the only ones dealing with the indoor air quality issue, some friends from down-under shared this with us recently.
An Australian study which was released earlier this year found that the main offenders in office pollution in Australia include photocopiers, cigarette smoke, dust mites, suspended particles, volatile organic compounds, mold, mildew, fungi & bacteria, and even formaldehyde.
A simple search of the world wide web shows that the term sick building syndrome is frequently referenced in documents originating in Australia. Even though it is widely known, it appears that little research has been conducted on the issue until recently.
This research, conducted by several engineering firms, claims the connection between complaints relating to sick building syndrome and people working at photocopiers. In particular, it showed that laser printers and the emission rates of ozone were commonly found to be a problem in older printers.
According to one researcher, poor indoor air quality is generally regarded as a significant health, environment, and economic problem, and he acknowledges that the inhalation of indoor air is the major cause of human exposure to pollutants.
This researcher concluded by stating that the effects of health from inhaling indoor air contaminants including particles, gases and biologicals in Australias homes and offices, are costing the nation up to 12 billion dollars in lost productivity and sickness annually. That\'s nowhere near as high as US estimates, but it does represent a significant loss in daily office productivity. |
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