title: [Indoor air and human health--sick house syndrome and multiple chemical sensitivity].
abstract: The number of complaints about the quality of indoor air has increased during the past two decades. These complaints have been frequent enough that the term "Sick House Syndrome or Sick Building Syndrome" and "Multiple Chemical Sensitivity" has been coined. Complaints are likely related to the increased use of synthetic organic materials in house, furnishing, and consumer products; and the buildings, furnishings, and consumer products; and the decreased ventilation for energy conservation in homes. Approximately thousand volatile chemicals have been identified in indoor air. The main sources of these chemicals are house materials, combustion fumes, cleaning compounds, and paints or stains. Exposure to high levels of these emissions and to others, coupled with the fact that most people spend more time indoors than outdoors, raises the possibility that the risk to human health from indoor air pollution may be potentially greater than the risk posed from outdoor pollutants. The complaints most frequently voiced with respect to Sick House Syndrome are irritations of the eye, nose, and throat; cough and hoarseness of voice; headache and mental fatigue. The syndrome of multiple chemical sensitivities is controversial subject with increasing impact on the field of indoor air quality. The controversy surrounding Multiple Chemical Sensitivity includes its definition, theories of etiology and pathogenesis, diagnostic, and life style. Multiple Chemical Sensitivity is considered the hypothesis that is a disease caused by exposure to many chemically distinct environmental substances at very low.
authors.affiliation: ando@nihs.go.jp
authors.forename: Masanori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ando
mesh_terms: D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001419:Bacteria; D003252:Construction Materials / Q000009:adverse effects; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects; D005557:Formaldehyde / Q000009:adverse effects; D005658:Fungi; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D018777:Multiple Chemical Sensitivity / Q000209:etiology*; D010150:Paint / Q000009:adverse effects; D018877:Sick Building Syndrome / Q000209:etiology*
chemical_list: D005557:Formaldehyde