Workers in Water-Damaged Office Building Much More Likely to Develop Asthma

Newswise — Office workers in a northeastern U.S. building that had been damaged by water leaks over a period of years were more than twice as likely to suffer from wheezing or asthma, and over three times more likely to suffer from adult-onset asthma, compared with the general adult population, according to a study published today in the April 2005 issue of the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives. Workers' respiratory symptoms also tended to improve away from work.

The study authors calculated that up to 12% of sick days taken in the preceding 12 months may have been attributable to building-related health effects. Although actual productivity loss was not measured, the authors wrote that the high prevalence of work-related symptoms suggests a substantial decrease in productivity may have occurred.

The researchers studied the building occupants as part of a program to investigate occupational respiratory disease in the nonindustrial environment. The 20-story office building had had numerous plumbing and exterior leaks since the mid-1990s. In the fall of 2000, more workers began complaining of illnesses they blamed on the work environment. The initial survey of employees took place in September 2001.

Of the 888 workers who filled out the initial questionnaire, the research team followed up with 140 people reporting several respiratory symptoms (which could include being diagnosed with asthma after taking a job in the building), 63 people reporting some respiratory symptoms (but not enough to classify as a "respiratory case" ), and 44 people reporting no respiratory symptoms. All participants had worked in the building for at least one year.

Two-thirds of the participants reporting physician-diagnosed adult-onset asthma developed the condition after coming to work in the building. The incidence of adult-onset asthma among the office workers was 14.5 cases per 1,000 person-years, 7.5 times greater than the estimated incidence among the general U.S. adult population. Respiratory symptoms accounted for one-third of sick days. The respiratory case group accounted for a quarter of the original 888 participants, but contributed over half of the sick days taken for respiratory reasons. The study authors found no correlation between symptoms and either job satisfaction or how often the jobs required hard work.

Dr. Jim Burkhart, science editor for EHP, says, "This study adds to a growing body of literature on the serious potential effects of long-term exposure to mold and damp living environments." A recent Institute of Medicine report on damp indoor spaces and health found evidence for an association between mold or other agents in damp indoor environments and upper respiratory tract symptoms.

The lead author of the study was Jean M. Cox-Ganser of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Other authors included Sandra K. White, Rebecca Jones, Ken Hilsbos, Eileen Storey, Paul L. Enright, Carol Y. Rao, and Kathleen Kreiss. The authors declared no competing financial interests or funding sources for the research. The article is available free of charge at http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/members/2005/7559/7559.html.

EHP is published by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. EHP is an Open Access journal. More information is available online at http://www.ehponline.org/.