The Kaohsiung City Government said it intends to check public buildings in the city to see if they are “sick” and pose a health hazard to residents.
The term “sick building syndrome” is used to describe buildings in which occupants experience health problems that appear to be linked to time spent there, but no specific illness or cause can be identified. Symptoms can include eye, nose or throat irritation, headaches, dry coughing and dry or itchy skin.
The problems are mostly reported in new or recently renovated buildings, and research has shown that the syndrome is often closely related to the building’s air quality, officials from the city’s Office of Building Administration said. The office has a budget of NT$9 million (US$280,000) this year to evaluate and improve public buildings, the officials said.
According to the office, experts will be hired to check the ventilation and air quality of buildings to see if they meet Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) standards and to make suggestions about how buildings can be improved.
The first 12 buildings will include hospitals, libraries and museums, the office said.
EPA standards stipulate that the eight-hour indoor average of carbon dioxide be less than 1,000 parts per million, while carbon monoxide should be kept to less than nine parts per million. The one-hour average amount of formaldehyde should not exceed 0.1 parts per million.
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