Indoor air effects after building renovation and in manufactured homes.
OBJECTIVE
The objective was to measure and compare the neurobehavioral and respiratory effects of exposures to indoor air in people living in manufactured homes and occupying buildings during renovation and compare them with effects on subjects exposed to formaldehyde at work.


METHODS
Ten people living in manufactured homes and 10 people exposed to chemicals during renovation of their offices or homes had measurements made of balance, visual fields, reaction time, hearing, grip strength, and vibration sense. Psychological measurements included cognition, recall, perceptual motor speed, long-term memory, and mood states.


RESULTS
Exposures to indoor air were associated with abnormal simple and choice reaction time, abnormal balance with the eyes open and with the eyes closed, abnormalities of color confusion index, scotoma in visual fields, reduced verbal recall, digit symbol score, and elevated abnormal moods. The effects on the two groups of 10 were similar and resembled those from formaldehyde exposure but with less cognitive impairment.


CONCLUSIONS
Adverse effects from indoor air in manufactured homes and during renovations were less severe but similar to those from occupational formaldehyde exposures. This suggests that formaldehyde has a major role in health problems from indoor air.
Kilburn
K H
KH
Environmental Sciences Laboratory, University of Southern California, School of Medicine, Los Angeles 90033, USA.
D000328:Adult; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D003118:Color Perception; D003252:Construction Materials / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology; D005160:Facility Design and Construction; D005260:Female; D005557:Formaldehyde / Q000009:adverse effects*; D018737:Hand Strength; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007374:Interior Design and Furnishings; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D004856:Postural Balance; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D011930:Reaction Time; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D012678:Sensation Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D018877:Sick Building Syndrome / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D014794:Visual Fields
D005557:Formaldehyde