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Variability of personal chemical exposure in eight office buildings in Sweden

Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology volume 14, pages S49–S57 (2004)Cite this article

Abstract

This study focuses on the variability in chemical exposures for individuals working in office buildings. The study involved eight office buildings with 79 participants, and exposures were measured using personal samplers for volatile organic compounds, aldehydes, amines, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, and particles. Ventilation was assessed in each individual office. “Variability among buildings” and “variability among individuals” were evaluated for any component (of the 123) measured in samples from at least 20 persons, using variance component analysis and principal component analysis. Interpersonal differences explained the major part of the variance for 78% of the compounds versus between-buildings differences for 14% of the compounds. For 8% of compounds, the variation was explained in equal amounts by the differences among individuals and among buildings. This study illustrates the necessity for individualised measurements (versus stationary measurements in building) to estimate personal exposures. These results also support the conculsion that in case-referent studies of “sick building syndrome” (SBS), referents to SBS cases can be randomised for building location.

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Acknowledgements

Financial support for this project from Vårdalstiftelsen and the Centre for Environmental Research (CMF) is gratefully acknowledged. We thank Margit Sundgren, Margaret Rhén, Annika Hagenbjörk-Gustafsson, and Lissi Thomasson for skilful technical assistance, and Ingrid Liljelind for the illustrations used in the informational material for the participants. This study has been approved by the ethical committee of Umeå University, dnr 00-101.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Dermatology and Venereology, Umeå University, Sweden

    Bo Glas & Berndt Stenberg

  2. Department of Work and Physical Environment, National Institute for Working Life, Umeå, Sweden

    Jan-Olof Levin & Anna-Lena Sunesson

  3. Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology, Umeå University, Sweden

    Berndt Stenberg & Hans Stenlund

Authors
  1. Bo Glas
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  2. Jan-Olof Levin
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  3. Berndt Stenberg
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  4. Hans Stenlund
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  5. Anna-Lena Sunesson
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Correspondence to Bo Glas.

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Glas, B., Levin, JO., Stenberg, B. et al. Variability of personal chemical exposure in eight office buildings in Sweden. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol 14 (Suppl 1), S49–S57 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jea.7500358

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