I have been getting headaches every day at work for the past 2 weeks. Thinking it was the lighting, I installed a desk lamp - still the headaches. Maybe it was the monitor glare - but I have the glare screen.... I mentioned it to one of my friends and she said that she was having them too. I was then on a mission. I asked other co-workers and 9 out of 13 had the same symptoms that we have. We work in a corporate building that was built in the 70's. Although remodeled; the ceiling and most wallpaper is original... I'm thinking it could be toxic mold. I've done a bit of research on toxic mold and it's a good possibility; Anyone have an experience?
2006-10-05 08:28:35 · 4 answers · asked by Anonymous in Health ➔ Other - Health
i was going to say ventilation.. which would fit in with your toxic mold theory..
2006-10-05 08:33:08 · answer #1 · answered by pip 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hi
If the building has warm/cold air ducting (not chilled/heated water to individual units) then the ducting could very easily be growing mold (on the accumulated dust). The answer is to test for mold in and near ducts while system is operating and again while it is off.
Another possibility is poor ventillation. In the 70's, everybody was concerned with sealing up buildings to conserve energy but did not know that this allows toxins to build up. A classic one is formaldehyde that off gasses from rugs, furniture, plastics, construction materials, etc (basically anything that is less than a year or so old). Another irritant that is found in air tight offices is ozone. It comes from laser printers and photocopiers which utilize high voltage as part of their process. The high voltage source produces ozone. Just printing in such machines also releases some volatile organic chemicals (V.O.C.'s) that are irritants at best and toxic at worst.
One other source is the cleaning operation. Carpet cleaning solution releases voc's and formaldehyde and can linger in an air tight building for months or even a year or more (especially in little used corners).
The answer to all of these is get ventillation to the outdoors. An air to air heat exchanger will ventillate while still conserving energy.
It is possible to have the air tested for formaldehyde and voc's and might be worth it.
You definately have too high a population percentage with symptoms for there to NOT be a problem. Keep pushing until you find out the problem and then push for resolution.
BTW. My wife won a workers compensation settlement because she developed reactive airway disease after her employer had the carpets deep cleaned to remove stains twice in the same month and refused to let the employees leave during the process. Amazingly, the carpet cleaning personell used supplied air respirators (supply air from outside through hoses to the masks that they wore)!
She is permanently injured and will never be able to work in an indoors atmoshere again.
2006-10-05 09:59:07 · answer #2 · answered by Gilley 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Check out this website for more info. on and detection of black mold. Check it out!
http://www.toxic-black-mold-info.com/findmold.htm
2006-10-05 09:30:34 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
no sorry to hear about that.
2006-10-05 08:29:59 · answer #4 · answered by LaLa 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋