A LABORATORY MODEL OF SICK BUILDING SYNDROME

自20世纪70年代以来，越来越多的建筑物被设计出来， 通过以下方式节约能源并降低空调成本 最小化通过建筑物外壳的空气泄漏。 然而，关注 这种建筑做法可能会损害室内空气质量 从而对工人的健康构成威胁。 “病态建筑”一词 综合征”（SBS）曾被用来描述症状或疾病的流行 在这些工作场所发生，缺乏特定的病因， 军团病或过敏性肺炎。 有 在受控的实验室条件下， SBS。 我们假设自主神经系统在 调节一些SBS症状，并建议调查的作用， 嗅觉和其他感官线索在驾驶SBS。 在这项试点研究中，我们 将测试测量生理变化的可行性， 生化和细胞学参数，可能是症状的基础， SBS和神经行为表现在控制暴露期间 挥发性有机化合物（VOC）。 我们还建议测试 一种在几个小时内掩盖VOC气味的方法。

Since the 1970s, increasing numbers of buildings have been designed and constructed to conserve energy and reduce air conditioning costs by minimizing air leakage through the building envelope. However, concern has arisen that such construction practices may compromise indoor air quality and thereby pose a threat to worker health. The term "sick building syndrome" (SBS) has been used to describe epidemics of symptoms or illness that occur in such workplaces and lack a specific etiology as in Legionnaires Disease or hypersensitivity pneumonitis. There have been relatively few attempts under controlled laboratory conditions to study SBS. We hypothesize that the autonomic nervous system plays a key role in modulating a number of SBS symptoms and propose to investigate the role of olfaction and other sensory cues in driving SBS. In this pilot study, we will test the feasibility of measuring changes in physiological, biochemical and cytological parameters that might underlie the symptoms of SBS and in neurobehavioral performance during controlled exposure of volunteers to volatile organic compounds (VOC). We also propose to test a method of masking the odor of VOC over a period of several hours.