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Sick Building Syndrome: Acoustic Aspects

Division of Heating and Ventilation, Department of Energy Technology, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden

Low-frequency noise, centred around a frequency of about 7 Hz, was found to occur in several office rooms investigated. Symptoms resulting from exposure to infrasound can include fatigue, headache, nausea, concentration difficul ties, disorientation, seasickness, digestive disorders, cough, vision problems and dizziness, that is, symptoms typical of the sick building syndrome. Many of the occupants exhibited such symptoms. It is shown that the low-frequency component of ventilation noise is often being amplified in the tightly sealed rooms. Repeated or long-term exposure to such amplified infrasound may be triggering an allergic-type response in individuals.

Key Words: Sick building syndrome • Infrasound • Allergic response • Building sealing

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