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THE IMPACT OF DIFFERErT VENTILATION AND LIGHTING LEVELS ON OFFICE BUILDING SYNDROME: AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY Sterling, E., B.A., B. Arch., Cornerstone Planning Group Limited, submitted to the International Symposium On Indoor Air Pollution, Health and Energy Conservation. University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts October 13-16, 1981 ~ }

f. In many office buildings the amount of fresh air supplied to the inside is reduced because recirculated air is much closer to the indoor design temperature than outside air and therefore takes less energy to heat or cool. A number of recent NIOSH, CDC, and DpE studies have indicated that in such buildings there may be a -prevalence of complaints from occupants. These types of complaints have become known as Office Building Syndrome (oBS). Cornerstone Planning Group Limited has undertaken a two part experimental study to identify some of the antecedents of various health and comfort complaints from office workers in a sealed, air conditioned building. The first part of the study documented OBS as an • increased incidence of absenteeism and complaints among office workers in the study group compared to control subjects in a non sealed building of similar vintage. The second part of the study monitored complaints and symptoms from subgroups when lighting was changed,and when fresh air was introduced-es a blind phase of the experiment. Complaints and symptoms decreased with changes in air and lighting and increased again when previous conditions were established. This demonstrates that OBS is not psychological and is dependent on building design and operation features. • i