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Could my home or office be making me sick?
By: Marianne Baker
What is Building Biology?
Building biology is the study of the relationship between buildings and life. As the primary concern of building biologists is the health and wellbeing of building occupants, we consider the impact of the built environment on human health and use this knowledge to create healthier homes and workplaces.
Building biology sees a home or workplace as our “third skin”. As such, it should be a breathable, flexible structure that not only provides shelter, but also supports the health of body, mind and spirit. It should be located in a quiet, non toxic environment on a site which is free from the adverse effects of man-made electromagnetic radiation and negative earth energies.
Services offered by Building Biologists
Each of the services offered by a building biologist will identify and provide recommended solutions for a particular indoor health hazard. While the range of services offered will vary between practitioners, it commonly includes :
• Electromagnetic Field (EMF) testing to identify hazards associated with the electricity supply and electrical appliances.
• Radio frequency testing to identify hazards associated with the radiation from mobile phone, telecommunications and wireless technologies.
• Moisture and mould detection to identify hazards associated with excess moisture in building materials and furnishings.
• Indoor air quality testing to identify hazards associated with the presence of high or low relative humidity, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and other chemicals in the indoor environment.
• Geomancy to identify hazards associated with geopathic stress i.e. natural or man-made energies, emanating from the earth, which are detrimental to human health.
• Pre-purchase and pre-lease inspections of buildings or vacant land to identify hazards existing in a potential home or workplace site.
• Building design and building material recommendations to create healthy, energy efficient buildings that have minimal environmental impact
• Recommendations for personal care products, cleaning products and water filters to support healthy indoor environments.
What conditions can it help?
Making a built environment healthier may help relieve those adverse health effects which are only experienced in a particular building or have only been experienced since either moving to a particular building or implementing changes (e,g, renovations) to a building, especially if the symptoms have not been relieved by good medical or alternative therapy treatment.
While the signs and symptoms of “sick building syndrome” vary from person to person, they commonly include
• headache
• fatigue
• sleep disorders
• inability to concentrate
• eye, nose and throat irritation
• breathing difficulties
In addition to improving the health and wellbeing of the occupants, healthier buildings may contribute to increasing productivity, reducing absenteeism in workplaces and helping businesses meet occupational health and safety requirements. |
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