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Indoor air-quality problems hinder cffice 'productiv%ty Foar'verrttiarion and : cigArr.tr sttwice are . e top amqt:atify' probl¢rrs tisat interfera tis tite ptssauctfvify~ ae, oface woriders~m cori:~ng -o a nanonai st.zve; conducted by sne+.;z+ei. TacivtgiysisL Foo<ve.-ti;ation is a orobiem ior 67 aercent tee oecpie who. say they nave diitidvity enq;iuir work because of the air quauty in eir ofSces Ggarer.e: smoice oatiters 54 rcetu of'cttese worxers a'nd'"s3 percent feeI provec a: qvaiity wauld make titer ofeces Dze aroduc3ue places in witic:i, to work. Tne i-ltTrteyweff Tet:hnaiysiz survey polled a presa*tative sampia of~6047 ofiica workers, yez-sor older, who wcrlc at)erst 20 hours a teicct an ofnee setting in wiricfinve or more rsans are employed Office workers compialn of numerousi spirztoty, probietrs and ;.nysi¢ai reacnons ma,incaar air pouur.on. Among tiiose', dted ost iseGueriti~'by'campuairtir:g workers are ed or sleepy feelings (56 percent9. nasal nges=n (4a' pestxnt);, eye itntations (41 rce:--i. breathing c>IIicufties (40 petcert). d'd heaIIaCl7es (39 'pP.rcertt)., Tweray-rotapercent of tnose pa6ed say the - qpa_ry where they work is "oniy, fair" or en,'"poor." Another 32 percent rate tne air ia'3tS as, "exceqe.nt,"' and' 44 percent st9des it _gocC • Lig[s=sg and temperature are the oti•iertop. :tars trat aiiec',productiviiy~ Fote^..~afiy serious heaiti•t , issues e= for e?2' aercern of' ofnce woriters who rnpiaat of yas and vaporr hunes and the 19 sczrtc' who say ttiey, bbreathe irzitating eri_. such as fbrmafdetfyde "T.-tese udofnateiy may ix the most rgescts ?.ouuartts." satd James E Wood. tD:, senior staif scentis, for kioneyweWs' srporate Physical , Science Center. "Bur arty oiice v,orkers undaubtediy arexi t even iare tiseyre beenq exposed to them and of a hea:..t probietrs t iey may ace." i ne survey raisea~ urarrimtg fiags for srageme.:n and 4eaifh a roiess)anaia," saia ooas 'T.-e indi tg; warn managezs: trat ey rs< :osuw; wotxeT prvcuc.nnty' oy .sco-c ve,cianon :a eu energy costs. ine. ~Pac reaucad'venciaoort itas on air quauty being cscovered by -eserscnes, sce_rtsts .d incust:v experts: Cfnce wotxers amo are grtrc+q,to -jersaiize compl)strtts aocut aar .auty usues "f•ieai.:-, rroiessIo:ws," b4oods. added. ay' Mlary~ spraglle 'mux urgently expiore dx sariacs: effecc.s ccm iong-tesm exposure to indoorpoWuranu, &tdoor a¢ podurion may ae the greatea emntronmentai challenge facng busuteas'andd. iaealtst care professionais in the next 10 yeaas:' Tne itcreasinq concentrations of' indoor gases and podutants are'particuiariy dang¢r- ous oecause peopie spend aeout' 45'percent of 'tneir tune indoors, where pol'iution levels mayy be 10 tanea greaterthan those zutsice, according to Woods:.. The seriotuness of the problem is re(ativp3y new, and the causes and eifects are still beazg ; discovered Soiutiens to these , problems range from the strr.ple- opening a wmoow - to. the compiex: - nsthirtiaing: anc redesigning the houses' and' buildings of the future. The probiem,is new because;it',s iinked,to; the "eghr btwding syndrome," according to t,t,Jood.t. As energy costs escaiarea c.amq tne past aecade, oid cwidings were seaied to keea air from ieaiung ut oroutt..New buildings were, consrructed.. °orma>m'mumenerg•r ef"ticenc,t; wnic.i oiten meanr minvnur.n outstae ventilation. Sce^•tists are 1ust'be5znrung ro rea.'vize:ana grappie vntn tne conseauences. `T'he nanon art:tiac.ng unsoiwacie or even:proruomvety exoerstve crooierns : in i vr~ ; maoor aa quamry ro proaeC ;)uciic ^ealin." Woodi saia "We : have to i determisu the tttos: serious contamutartts, ser acceptabie szndards icr conrar..inam levels anti meet tiiem with adea,uate vxttLation and air cleaning ceciu.noiogy:" Cetrnon contamizants in addruon; to formaldehyde include carbon dioxide: as3estos. ozone, sufn:r dioxace. neaogen dioxide and'radan (a radioacave and inert gas found in sorli), The sources of ti•+ese aogutants are iiniced to omce fumisiiings and egt:ipmenr. fabrics, appioances, the ground beneath auic5ng5 and peopie themseives The I-ioneywefl Techaalysis survey also uncovered an a's-quaiity gender gap, Tfurtyr faou pe•cent, of, the women believe t3te air cuatiry where they work rs "oniy, iair ' or "poar," but only ;8 percetu of'ahe mett share mat'opirtion, Sucy-fNe:percentof tiie women say tisat correcong', aa-quai'sry proaierns wA produce higher productivity, rampared to 47 percent of the mer:. Tnis margin of ciitsats.`action betweerr women and men may come from signuicant dif7erenQesIn'.wOfktng cundttans reported: ittne survey. Men 154,percent) are mn:ctmore Mce,iy to work in fiuly enciased offiees'anc'to have greater access to windo4vs than wnmen 0 percent). Men also have greater moisv`ary, in offices. Neariy half the women say they sputd almost at7 of their time in dieir office or assigned work area- but less r}saat a tfiird of ce men stay invne area rnost of',trie tine.. Opinions about tnanagement attitudes are I siaa:piy dwided. Siiny-seven percent of'tne office workers say managemenris "very"'or. `somewriat" concerned:: but a sgrtiricam 30 percznrcontend rranage•nent sn't r esoorstve to air,uaiity :ssues. More: u,omen 13- perce.^.tl tnan men1c25 percenti leei •:anaoe; ment',:s iess concerned aooan au,quaiir,r: Office •.variiers; however: do gtve manac_e- r..ent c-eeit for eiiarts to improve air qe:aiir; - 24' ?ereenc rememoer some recent aa:• q_aiity improvernen5 runatea oy rnanage- r..znt'. Trie most c:.mmon changes are me irsmiaoen oc air' concicontng systems. mennonenby 23 percent: anC.new.venr•;aIInc a•.:cs ana ians. cted by 16 percent. `Tnese are _^oorr,l•tt stem "Woocs sa,c. 'sinca a comouwnon af 5etter ver.r.lation and atr' C:eanlnq Un1tS u3nSigrrinC371t1y. 'rnorove . oL: cz air oLlalIt}: . and': eSle^veryy rernove, pollutan:ssuaZ es tooacco :srncxe par.nc:e3. -