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"Indoor air quality is an environmental problem that's been unbelievably neglected. Despite the fact that we spend 90 percent of our time indoors, no one has bothered to rectify the problem." These are the words of Jan Sundell, a ventilation expert with 10 years of experience at the National Board of Physical Planning and Building and 10 years at the National Board of Occupational Safety and Health. Currently engaged in research involving air and ventilation and their significance in the way we feel at Sweden's Karolinska Institute, he also works as sort of a "consultant to experts" in, among other things, a Swedish Allergy survey. It was not too long ago that all symptoms pointing to the sick-building syndrome were dismissed as a form of mass hysteria. Today we know that the sick-building syndrome exists and that it is a source of discomfort for people who live and work in them. Irritations of the mucus membranes in.eyes, noses and upper respiratory passages, fatigue, headaches, skin rashes, colds, coughs, itching and hypersensitive reactions are typical examples of discomforts caused by sick buildings. I As many people die from astma as in car accidents "This area has been virtually ignored, even though as many people die from astma as in car accidents," says Jan Sundell. "When people become aware that a building is giving them allergies, it becomes a union issue. Unrest surfaces at workplaces located in sick buildings." There are contests for architectual emphasis in buildings. Prizes are awarded for energy-conservation measures. Jan Sundell considers these aspects to be uninteresting. In his opinion, there is only one question that matters. Do people in a building feel well? "A lot of people lose sight of the purpose of buildings. People are supposed to be inside them." Work productivity important "Work productivity and absenteeism must be taken into consideration in the planning of new buildings. It's expensive to locate workplaces in sick buildings," stresses Jan Sundell. The problem of sick buildings as far as researchers are concerned is that no specific causes can be found for the conditions that appear. There are none, quite simply. "The discomforts and the problems don't coincide with what we've looked for," says Jan Sundell. "Researchers have always looked for a specific substance. It's easy to get hung up on looking for a single factor. "There're hundreds of substances in the air that, combined with other stress factors, can result in hypersensitivity. This is often referred to as the 'cup theory.' The cup is filled up until it runs over." I

Ventilation combines Ventilation is the largest single factor that combines these problems. "Ten years ago people started closing off areas without considering the consequences. It was clear back then what the results would be. "The greatest problem is that the operation and maintenance of today's ventilation systems are more outdated than an old VW. "Twenty to fourty years it didn't make as big a difference as it does today. "What makes the problem so serious is that 40 percent of the population is hypersensitive. In fact, everybody is hypersensitive at one time or another," says Jan Sundell. F