Abstract
The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of different types of apartment unit plan on symptoms related to SBS. The apartment floor plans covered in this study are divided between two types: plans with and without cross ventilation. The major methodology for the study was a survey that used an array of question items selected from preceding research related to SBS and preliminary study. The survey was conducted in August and September 2012 (summer), a season reported to show a higher rate of occurrence of SBS, and surveyed a total of 120 households, 60 households for each apartment plan type. The conclusion drawn from the findings of the survey is as follows. First, SBS symptoms were reported to occur from one and a half to two times more frequently among occupants of apartments without a cross ventilation floor plan than among those with a floor plan allowing cross ventilation. Second, narrow and enclosed spaces with built-in closets, such as entryways or bathrooms, were found to be more commonly associated with SBS symptoms. Even the living room was cited as among the areas associated with SBS symptoms by occupants of apartments with a floor plan lacking cross ventilation. Third, a majority of occupants were found to use "bake-out" to reduce the effects of SBS, but their satisfaction with this measure was low. As for "natural ventilation," the level of satisfaction was reported to be higher among the occupants of cross ventilation plan apartments, but relatively lower among their counterparts. Keywords: apartment buildings; apartment unit plan; sick building syndrome 1. Introduction sensitizing a number of people to the importance of 1.1 Background and Objectives of the Study the indoor environments in which modern people often Health issues are often a focus of public interest spend the bulk of their time. It was reported that a since well-being or the value of leading a happy growing number of people suffer pain and discomfort and healthy life has emerged as a buzzword. The due to chemical materials present in the residential development of technology and economic growth environment where they eat, recreate and sleep on are allowing people to reside in more hygienic a daily basis. Even healthy people may experience environments and affluent settings than they may have physical disorders after moving into a newly in the past. At the same time, however, technological constructed house and live in daily pain and discomfort advancement and material prosperity have triggered a due to sick building syndrome (SBS), also known as range of problems. sick house syndrome. This sick building syndrome has Given the fact that environmental pollution may been reported to be the result of exposure to harmful negatively impact human health, this issue has emerged indoor chemical substances. as a top priority to be addressed. These circumstances have aroused the attention of A special feature "Counterattack from the the construction industry, as well as of manufacturers Environment—Homes attack residents" was televised of building materials such as adhesives, paint, wood- on the Seoul Broadcasting System on January 3, 2004, based composite materials, furniture and interior finishing. A related law, the Indoor Air Quality Control in Public Use Facilities, etc. Act, has been in effect *Contact Author: Jae-Hoon Lee, Professor, in South Korea since March 2004, demonstrating the Department of Architecture, Dankook University, 406, South Korean government's awareness of the gravity 1st Engineering Bldg, 152, Jukjeon-ro, Suji-gu, Yongin-si, of indoor air pollution. Gyeonggi-do, 448-701, Korea Existing studies on SBS have relied upon the single Tel: +82-31-8005-3706 Fax: +82-31-8005-3706 method of general surveys targeting all residents E-mail: jaehoon@dankook.ac.kr of housing in general, and none have addressed the ( Received April 11, 2013 ; accepted November 11, 2013 ) Journal of Asian Architecture and Building Engineering/January 2014/70 63 4 Table 1. Effects of Formaldehyde on the Human Body relation between symptoms of SBS and residential unit Concentration plan. Effects on the Body (ppm) Therefore, this study aims to examine the impact of 0.1-5 Eye irritation, tearing, upper airway irritation apartment unit floor plan on symptoms related to SBS 1 or less Irritation of eyes, nose and throat by conducting a survey targeting residents experiencing Severe asthma attack among people with bronchial 0.25-5 SBS symptoms and then comparing and analyzing unit asthma plans designed with or without cross ventilation . Cough, chest tightness, dull feeling in head, rapid 10-20 heartbeat 1.2 Scope and Methods of the Study Fluid accumulation in the lungs, pulmonary The scope of the study was limited to apartment inflammation, death, severe pain in mouth, throat 50-100 units with and without cross ventilation. For the and stomach following inhalation, vomiting, preliminary study, apartment units one or two months diarrhea, dizziness, convulsions, unconsciousness a ft e r a pi l o t surv e y we re se l e c t e d. As t h e st udy infiltration rate and less indoor-generated chemical progressed, the survey targeted units at three or four contaminants. In order to minimize adverse thermal months after inspection. The unit size was roughly 84 conditions, however, homes have been made more m and their orientation was south-eastwards. airtight and better insulated through the application of The survey for this study was conducted on a total aluminum or plastic sashes, double-paned glass, glass of 180 households residing in apartment buildings walls and/or insulation such as foamed polystyrene. newly erected by companies A, B, and C. Apartments These result in reduced air leakage, leading to a drop were subdivided into two groups: unit plans with and in air exchange rate, which makes it difficult to exhaust without cross ventilation; thus 30 households were indoor air pollutants from the structure. What is more, selected for each respective subunit. The analytic a number of newly developed chemical components frames are as follows. have been used as construction materials to heighten The survey was conducted over approximately one existing materials' performance in terms of decoration month from August 4 to September 3, 2012, a period (design), durability (chemical stability, preservatives reported to show a higher rate of occurrence of SBS. a n d m o t h - p r o o f i n g ) , sa f e t y ( f i r e a n d d i sa st e r In order to analyze symptoms associated with SBS prevention), convenience and economic efficiency. by apartment unit plan, a total of five items were The second category relates to lifestyle. When houses investigated: pattern of symptoms of SBS by family are in extremely close proximity, it is considered member; spaces associated with symptoms of SBS; more difficult to leave windows open due to privacy presumed causes for SBS; remedial measures for SBS and/or noise issues. In addition, the introduction of and related satisfaction; and occupants' awareness of air conditioning and heating systems has led people mechanical ventilation systems. Through a comparative to acquire the habit of living with windows closed. analysis of these items, this study concentrated on Along with building materials, improved standards of identifying the relationship between symptoms of SBS living have allowed household items high in chemical according to apartment unit plan, time spent in the unit, substances to enter the home, such as furniture, air and within particular areas of the unit, and sought to freshener, insect repellent, cosmetics, and hairspray. offer countermeasures. The third is air pollution. The use of fossil fuel has resulted in a severe increase in air pollution. For 2. Summary of Sick Building Syndrome example, black carbon emissions from diesel engines SBS refers to a variety of symptoms of which people are combined with pollen, thus putting people at risk of have suffered after moving into a newly built house. developing or exacerbating allergies. Attention should One major contributor to SBS is formaldehyde, a be directed to the fact that outdoor air may actually be volatile chemical commonly used as a raw material more polluted than indoor air in certain areas such as in preservatives, adhesives or spray paint for interior roadsides, near industrial complexes or in farmlands design. For example, immediately upon moving into due to the increase in the use of agricultural pesticides. a newly built house, allergic diseases such as atopic The fourth category spans the human body. dermatitis and asthma can be exacerbated or skin Chemical materials can enter the human body through irritations of unknown provenance may occur. There the respiratory system or food and accumulate to levels are wide variations in the manner and severity to triggering multiple chemical sensitivity. However, the which individuals may be affected. For young children amount of a compound causing the development of and older people with weakened immune systems, disease can vary by individual. Chemical materials symptoms may be exacerbated. In the case of those released into the air or sea are gradually transferred to suffering preexisting allergies, allergy symptoms may and accumulated within the human body through the be aggravated. food chain. This results in an increased rate of allergy The causes of problems with SBS can in general be sufferers. divided among four categories. The first is the home itself. The traditional house of the past had a high 64 JAABE vol.13 no.1 January 2014 Jae-Hoon Lee Table 2. Outline of Apartment Units Surveyed Company A B C Date of Completion June 2012 June 2012 July 2012 No. of floors/buildings 19 floors/14 buildings (863 units) 22 floors/6 buildings (403 units) 15 floors/7 buildings (430 units) (No. of households) Orientation Southeast Southeast Southeast 2 2 2 Size (area of exclusive use space) 26 pyeong (84.98 m ) 25 pyeong (84 m ) 25 pyeong (84m ) No. of rooms and bathrooms Three rooms/two bathrooms Three rooms/two bathrooms Three rooms/two bathrooms Properties Windows Double windows/Openable (sliding) Cross ventilation plan Non-cross ventilation plan L: Living room/MB: Master Bedroom/R: Room/K: Kitchen/B1, B2: Bathroom/b: Balcony/U: Utility room/E: Entrance/▼: Entrance/ : Windows 3. Investigation and Analysis of Sick Building mechanical ventilation system and hours of using the Syndrome Symptoms by Apartment Unit Plan ventilation system were examined. This study examines differences in SBS symptoms 3.1 Types of SBS Symptoms by Family Member between occupants living in units with floor plans 3.1.1 Female Homemakers providing cross ventilation and those in units without According to the survey, female homemakers spent cross ventilation. the greatest amount of time in the home, reporting an According to the paper "Changes in Indoor Air average occupancy reaching 20 hours per day. Among Pollution over Three Years after Occupancy of New the 180 female homemakers queried, 94 (52.2%) Apartments" by the Ministry of Environment, the answered "yes" to whether or not they had suffered greatest volume of pollutants is released within three to SBS symptoms. Among the 90 female homemakers four months following occupancy. Therefore, this study living in apartments with a cross-ventilation floor plan, selected apartment buildings the construction of which 36 (40%) answered in the positive, compared to 58 had been completed by one of the three construction (64.4%) out of the remaining 90 residing in apartment companies either three or four months in the past (see units without a cross-ventilated plan. This indicates Table 2.). that homes lacking cross ventilation have a higher The authors' survey consists of three parts. The first occurrence rate of SBS compared with the contrasting relates to the general characteristics of the apartment type of homes (see Table 3.). unit, such as overall information, size, orientation, Am ong t he SBS sym pt om s re port e d (m ul t i pl e occupancy period and the number of floors. In order to responses were allowed) by 36 female homemakers acquire basic information about household members, in apartment units with a cross-ventilated plan, sore questions were included regarding age, gender and eyes was the most cited (16 respondents), followed time spent in the apartment unit. by dizziness (11), dry and fatigued eyes (9), sneezing The second part investigates SBS. Types of SBS (8), headache (7), sore throat and worsening rhinitis symptoms, symptom duration, areas associated with (6 each), frequent coughing and runny nose (5 each), SBS symptoms, presumed causes for the syndrome, itchy and dry skin (4), dry and hoarse throat (3), measures to resolve SBS, and the satisfaction with the aggravated asthma, worsened bronchitis, and nasal measures taken were examined. stuffiness (2 each), and lethargy (1). The third area deals with questions about ventilation Out of those 36 female homemakers in apartment in the apartment unit. Occupant satisfaction with the units with cross-ventilation floor plans who complained Table 3. Female Homemakers Experiencing SBS Symptoms * Unit: Person (%) Cross Ventilation Plan Non-Cross Ventilation Plan Total Company A Company B Company C Sub-total Company A Company B Company C Sub-total Yes 11 (36.7%) 12 (40%) 13 (43.3%) 36 (40%) 23 (76.7%) 15 (50%) 20 (66.7%) 58 (64.4%) 94 (52.2%) No 19 (63.3%) 18 (60%) 17 (56.7%) 54 (60%) 7 (23.3%) 15 (50%) 10 (33.3%) 32 (35.6%) 86 (47.8%) Total 30 (100%) 30 (100%) 30 (100%) 90 (100%) 30 (100%) 30 (100%) 30 (100%) 90 (100%) 180 (100%) JAABE vol.13 no.1 January 2014 Jae-Hoon Lee 65 * Unit: Person (%) Table 4. Duration of Female Homemakers' SBS Symptoms Cross Ventilation Plan Non-Cross Ventilation Plan Total Company A Company B Company C Sub-total Company A Company B Company C Sub-total Under 1 week 2 (18.2%) - - 2 (5.6%) - - - 0 (0%) 2 (2.1%) 1-2 weeks 3 (27.3%) 3 (25.0%) 2 (15.4%) 8 (22.2%) 2 (8.7%) 1 (6.7%) 1 (5%) 4 (6.9%) 12 (16.9%) 2-3 weeks 2 (18.2%) - 2 (15.4%) 4 (11.1%) - - 1 (5%) 1 (1.7%) 4 (12.8%) 3-4 weeks 1 (9.1%) 2 (16.7%) 2 (15.4%) 5 (13.9%) - - - 0 (0%) 5 (5.3%) 4-5 weeks - - - 0 (0%) - - 1 (5%) 1 (1.7%) 1 (1.1%) 1-2 months 2 (18.2%) 6 (50.0%) 4 (30.8%) 12 (33.3%) 13 (56.2%) 8 (53.3%) 4 (20%) 24 (41.4%) 36 (38.3%) 2-3 months 1 (9.1%) 1 (8.3%) 1 (7.7%) 3 (23.1%) 8 (34.8%) 5 (33.3%) 5 (25%) 13 (22.4%) 16 (17.0%) 3-4 months - - 1 (7.7%) 1 (2.8%) - 1 (6.7%) 7 (35%) 8 (13.8%) 9 (9.6%) 4 months and over - - 1 (7.7%) 1 (2.8%) - - 1 (5%) 1 (1.7%) 2 (2.1%) Total 11 (100%) 12 (100%) 13 (100%) 36 (100%) 23 (100%) 15 (100%) 20 (100%) 58 (100%) 94 (100%) Table 5. Married Men Experiencing SBS Symptoms Unit: Person (%) Cross Ventilation Plan Non-Cross Ventilation Plan Total Company A Company B Company C Sub-total Company A Company B Company C Sub-total Yes 6 (20%) 3 (10.3%) 2 (6.7%) 11 (12.4%) 7 (23.3%) 10 (35.6%) 7 (23.3%) 24 (27.3%) 35 (19.8%) No 24 (80%) 26 (89.7%) 28 (93.3%) 78 (87.6%) 23 (76.7%) 18 (64.3%) 23 (76.7%) 64 (72.7%) 142 (80.2%) Total 30 (100%) 29 (100%) 30 (100%) 89 (100%) 30 (100%) 28 (100%) 30 (100%) 88 (100%) 177 (100%) of suc h sympt om s, t he grea t est num be r—12 cross-ventilated plan (see Table 4.). respondents (33.3%)—stated that their symptoms 3.1.2 Married Men persisted for one month or longer but less than two The average hours of home occupancy for married months. The period one week or longer but less than men was 14, and among the 177 respondents, 35 two weeks ranked second, cited by eight subjects (19.8%) reported SBS symptoms. Out of the 89 (22.2%), followed by between three and four weeks respondents living in apartment units with a cross- and between two and three weeks, cited by five (13.9%) ve nt i l a t e d pl a n, 11 (12.4%) c om pl a i ne d of suc h and four subjects (11.1%), respectively. The remaining symptoms, while the figure rose to 24 (27.3%) among response options—between two and three months, less those residing in apartments without a cross ventilated than one week, between three and four months, and plan. four months or more—were cited by three (23.1%), The men living in a pa rt m e nt uni t s wi t h a non- two (5.6%), one (2.8%), and one (2.8%) subjects, cross ventilation floor plan showed a relatively higher respectively. percentage of reporting SBS symptoms than did those In apartment plans where cross ventilation is with cross-ventilation floor plans (see Table 5.). unavailable, the 58 female homemakers who reported With multiple responses allowed, among the having suffered SBS symptoms experienced, in order symptoms reported by husbands residing in apartments from the most to the least cited with multiple responses with cross-ventilated floor plans, worsening rhinitis allowed, sore eyes (32 respondents), dizziness (27), ranked first, cited by 6 out of 11 subjects, followed headache (25), sore throat (24), frequent coughing (22), by sore eyes (5 respondents), dry and fatigued eyes, dry and fatigued eyes, and sneezing (21 each), nasal sore throat, nasal stuffiness, runny nose, and sneezing stuffiness and runny nose (18 each), itchy and dry skin (2 each), and headache, frequent coughing, dry and (12), worsening rhinitis (11), dry and hoarse throat hoarse throat, worsened bronchitis, itchy and dry skin, (10), lethargy, and loss of concentration and memory and lethargy (1 each). (7 each), worsened bronchitis (6), worsened atopic When asked how long their symptoms lasted, the dermatitis (5), aggravated asthma, and nausea and largest number—5 out of 11 subjects, or 45.6%— vomiting (4 each), and heart palpitations (2). chose one week or over but less than two weeks, with Among the subjects, the largest number—36 out between two and three weeks and between two and of 58, or 41.4%—responded that their symptoms three months cited by three respondents (27.3%), continued for one month or more but less than two respectively. months, with 13 (22.4%) and eight (13.8%) citing On the other hand, for apartment plans without between two and three months and between three cross ventilation, SBS symptoms reported by the 24 and four months, respectively. The number of those husbands who responded that they had suffered such reporting one week or more but less than two weeks symptoms were, in order from the most to the least was four (6.9%), followed by two to three weeks, cited, with multiple responses allowed, sore eyes (11), between four and five weeks, and four months or more, sneezing (9), dizziness, dry and fatigued eyes, and sore chosen by one respondent (1.7%), respectively. The throat (8 each), frequent coughing (7), nasal stuffiness, results indicate that SBS occurs more frequently and runny nose, and worsening rhinitis (6 each), dry and lingers for a longer period with apartment units without hoarse throat (4), itchy and dry skin, and lethargy (3 66 JAABE vol.13 no.1 January 2014 Jae-Hoon Lee Table 6. Duration of Married Men's SBS Symptoms * Unit: Person (%) Cross Ventilation Plan Non-Cross Ventilation Plan Total Company A Company B Company C Sub-total Company A Company B Company C Sub-total Under 1 week - - - 0 (0%) - - - 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 1-2 weeks 4 (66.7%) 1 (33.3%) - 5 (45.6%) 1 (14.3%) 1 (10%) 1 (14.3%) 3 (12.5%) 8 (22.9%) 2-3 weeks 1 (16.7%) - 2 (100%) 3 (27.3%) - - - 0 (0%) 3 (8.6%) 3-4 weeks - - - 0 (0%) - - 1 (14.3%) 1 (4.2%) 1 (2.9%) 4-5 weeks - - - 0 (0%) - - - 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 1-2 months 1 (16.7%) 2 (66.7%) - 3 (27.3%) 4 (57.1%) 3 (30%) 2 (28.6%) 9 (37.5%) 12 (34.3%) 2-3 months - - - 0 (0%) 2 (28.6%) 5 (50%) 1 (14.3%) 8 (33.3%) 8 (22.9%) 3-4 months - - - 0 (0%) - 1 (10%) 2 (28.6%) 3 (12.5%) 3 (8.6%) 4 months and over - - - 0 (0%) - - - 0 (0%) 0 (0%) Total 6 (100%) 3 (100%) 2 (100%) 11 (100%) 7 (100%) 10 (100%) 7 (100%) 24 (100%) 35 (100%) Table 7. Children Experiencing SBS Symptoms *Unit: Person (%) Cross Ventilation Plan Non-Cross Ventilation Plan Total Company A Company B Company C Sub-total Company A Company B Company C Sub-total Yes 6 (17.1%) 10 (21.7%) 6 (20%) 22 (19.8%) 10 (25.6%) 8 (25.8%) 12 (40%) 30 (30%) 52 (24.6%) No 29 (82.9%) 36 (78.3%) 24 (80%) 89 (80.2%) 29 (74.4%) 23 (74.2%) 18 (60%) 70 (70%) 159 (75.4%) Total 35 46 30 111 39 31 30 100 211 each), aggravated asthma and worsened bronchitis (2 Among the subjects, eight of the children (36.4%) each), and heart palpitations, and loss of concentration reported that their symptoms continued for one month and memory (1 each). or more but under two months. Seven (31.8%) selected Among those reporting symptoms, the largest between one and two weeks, three (13.6%) picked number—9 (37.5%) out of 24—responded that their between two and three weeks and between two and SBS symptoms continued for one month or more three months, respectively, and one (4.5%) identified but under two months, while eight (33.3%) selected between three and four weeks. between two and three months. The durations of In apartment plans without cross ventilation, with between one and two weeks and between three and multiple responses allowed, 11 of the 30 children who four months were in third place, cited by three (12.5%) reported having suffered SBS symptoms complained of each, followed by between three and four weeks, frequent coughing, making up the largest proportion. cited by one (4.2%). These figures indicate that SBS Nasal stuffiness ranked second, cited by nine children, occurrence is more frequent and its duration is longer followed by dry and fatigued eyes, runny nose, and with apartment plans not allowing for cross ventilation worsening rhinitis (8 each); sore eyes and sneezing (see Table 6.). (7 each); itchy and dry skin (6); worsened atopic 3.1.3 Children dermatitis (5); dizziness and headache (4 each); sore The average hours of home occupancy for the throat, dry and hoarse throat, aggravated asthma, and children in the surveyed households was 11 hours, and lethargy (3 each); and worsened bronchitis (2). among the 211 children, 52 (24. 6%) responded "yes" When these 30 children were asked how long their to whether or not they had suffered any SBS symptoms. symptoms lingered, the largest number, 12 (40%), Specifically, in apartments with cross ventilated floor responded two months or longer but less than three plans, 22 (19.8%) out of the 111 subjects answered months. The next-most common response was between "yes" while the figure rose to 30 (30%) out of 100 in one and two months, between three and four months, apartments without cross ventilation floor plans. and between one and two weeks, cited by ten (33.3%), As the outcome suggests, the percentage of children six (20%), and two (6.7%) respondents, respectively. reporting SBS symptoms was higher in apartments This outcome indicates that SBS occurs more often without cross-ventilated floor plans (see Table 7.). and its symptoms linger longer in apartment units with As for children residing in apartments with floor floor plans lacking cross ventilation (see Table 8.). plans featuring cross ventilation who reported 3.2 Spaces Associated with SBS Symptoms experiencing SBS symptoms, with multiple responses Among the female homemakers from the 180 allowed, the largest number—9 out of 22—identified households surveyed, 100 (55.6%) answered "yes" to as their symptoms sore eyes, followed by worsening whether or not their homes had a space they associated rhinitis (8); sneezing (7); runny nose (6); frequent with SBS symptoms. coughing (4); dizziness, dry and fatigued eyes, sore Specifically, in cross-ventilated apartment plans, 40 throat, dry and hoarse throat, nasal stuffiness, itchy out of 90 female homemakers said "yes," while the and dry skin, and worsened atopic dermatitis (3 each); figure increased to 60 among the remaining 90 female worsened bronchitis and lethargy (2 each); headache, homemakers who reside in apartments with floor and nausea and vomiting (1 each). plans not allowing for cross ventilation. As the results JAABE vol.13 no.1 January 2014 Jae-Hoon Lee 67 * Unit: Person (%) Table 8. Duration of Children's SBS Symptoms Cross Ventilation Plan Non-Cross Ventilation Plan Total Company A Company B Company C Sub-total Company A Company B Company C Sub-total Under 1 week - - - 0 (0%) - - - 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 1-2 weeks 5 (83.3%) 2 (20%) - 7 (31.8%) 1 (10%) - 1 (8.3%) 2 (6.7%) 9 (17.3%) 2-3 weeks - - 3 (50%) 3 (13.6%) - - - 0 (0%) 3 (5.8%) 3-4 weeks - - 1 (16.7%) 1 (4.5%) - - - 0 (0%) 1 (1.9%) 4-5 weeks - - - 0 (0%) - - - 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 1-2 months 1 (16.7%) 6 (30%) 1 (16.7%) 8 (36.4%) 4 (40%) 2 (25%) 4 (33.3%) 10 (33.3%) 18 (34.6%) 2-3 months - 2 (30%) 1 (16.7%) 3 (13.6%) 5 (50%) 6 (75%) 1 (8.3%) 12 (40%) 15 (28.8%) 3-4 months - - - 0 (0%) - - 6 (50%) 6 (20%) 6 (11.5%) 4 months and over - - - 0 (0%) - - - 0 (0%) 0 (0%) Total 6 10 6 22 10 8 12 30 52 * Unit: Person Table 9. Spaces Associated with SBS Symptoms (Multiple Responses) Cross Ventilation Plan Non-Cross Ventilation Plan Total Company A Company B Company C Sub-total Company A Company B Company C Sub-total Entryway 11 8 11 30 17 8 17 42 72 Kitchen 6 6 10 22 12 7 15 34 56 Living Room - 3 1 4 14 11 13 38 42 Master Bedroom 10 15 13 38 21 15 22 58 96 Child's Room 1 6 8 10 24 18 7 17 42 66 Child's Room 2 6 4 8 18 12 8 16 36 54 Bathroom 1 - - - 0 3 3 1 7 7 Bathroom 2 - - - 0 2 3 1 6 6 Utility Room - - - 0 - 2 1 3 3 Balcony - - - 0 - 2 - 2 2 Number of Respondents 39 44 53 136 99 66 103 268 404 (Multiple Responses) Number of Respondents 11 15 14 40 23 15 22 60 100 indicate, the percentage of female homemakers who female homemakers dwelling in apartment units with reported associating a certain space in their homes with a floor plan providing cross ventilation cited built- SBS symptoms was higher in apartment units without in closets, with 38 affirmations, while 13 subjects cross-ventilation floor plans. identified building and finishing materials. In apartments with cross-ventilated floor plans, the In apartments with a non-cross ventilation floor plan, master bedroom was cited as associated with SBS all 60 female homemakers indicated built-in closets, symptoms by the largest number of respondents, followed by building and finishing materials (22) and 38 (multiple responses allowed), followed by the a closed floor plan (21). Built-in closets, regardless of entryway (30), child's room 1 (24), kitchen (22), child's the type of plan, showed the highest rates among the room 2 (18), and the living room (4). possible sources. Also, the response that SBS could be I n a p a r t m e n t s wh e r e t h e f l o o r p l a n d o e s n o t triggered by a closed floor plan was only offered at a provide for cross ventilation, spaces associated with high rate in homes without cross ventilation. This leads SBS symptoms were, in order from the most to the to the assumption that non-cross ventilation floor plans least cited by respondents, the master bedroom (58), do not provide adequate ventilation, thus raising the entryway and child's room 1 (42 each), living room incidence of SBS (See Table 10.). (38), child's room 2 (36), kitchen (34), bathroom 1 3.4 Measures against SBS and Satisfaction Levels (7), bathroom 2 (6), utility room (3), and balcony (2). 3.4.1 Implementation of Measures against SBS These figures indicate that in apartment units with non- Among the femal e homem akers i n the 180 cross ventilated floor plans, a greater number of spaces households surveyed, 100 (55.6%) replied "yes" as to were associated with SBS symptoms. Notably, living whether or not they had taken action to address SBS. rooms were indicated more often than they were in the For the questionnaire item as to what measures they case of cross-ventilated floor plans (see Table 9.). had taken, those 100 female homemakers responded 3.3 Possible Causes of SBS as follows, with multiple responses allowed. Among Out of the female homemakers in the 180 households the measures reported by female homemakers living surveyed, 100 (55.6%) responded "yes" to whether or in cross-ventilated floor plan apartments, "opening not they believed there were possible causes of SBS windows" was the most cited (37 responses), followed symptoms in their homes. by bake-out (23), air-purifying houseplants (12), Among the possible causes of SBS symptoms, with charcoal (9), other (3), and eco-friendly building multiple responses allowed, the largest number of materials (2). Among those with an apartment plan 68 JAABE vol.13 no.1 January 2014 Jae-Hoon Lee * Unit: Person Table 10. Possible Causes of SBS (Multiple Responses) Cross Ventilation Plan Non-Cross Ventilation Plan Company A Company B Company C Total Company A Company B Company C Total Built-in closets (new furniture) 11 14 13 38 23 15 22 60 Building and finishing materials 2 9 2 13 2 7 13 22 Closed floor plan - - - 0 11 5 5 21 No. of respondents 13 23 15 51 36 27 40 103 (multiple responses) No. of respondents 11 15 14 40 23 15 22 60 Table 11. Implementation of Measures against SBS (Multiple Responses) * Unit: Person Cross Ventilation Plan Non-Cross Ventilation Plan Total Company A Company B Company C Sub-total Company A Company B Company C Sub-total Bake-out 8 8 7 23 13 5 17 35 58 Opening windows 8 15 14 37 21 15 22 58 95 Eco-friendly building materials - 1 - 1 - - - 0 1 Air-purifying houseplants 5 5 2 12 7 5 3 15 27 Charcoal 2 6 1 9 4 2 4 10 19 Other 1 2 - 3 2 2 2 6 9 No. of respondents 24 37 24 85 47 29 48 124 209 (multiple responses) No. of respondents 11 15 14 40 23 15 22 60 100 Table 12. Satisfaction Levels with Measures against SBS (Multiple Responses) * Unit: Person Cross Ventilation Plan Non-Cross Ventilation Plan Total Company A Company B Company C Sub-total Company A Company B Company C Sub-total Yes 3 5 3 11 3 1 6 10 21 Bake-out No 5 3 4 12 10 4 11 25 37 Yes 8 15 14 37 8 10 16 34 71 Opening windows No - - - 0 13 5 6 24 24 Eco-friendly Building Yes - 1 - 1 - - - 0 1 materials No - - - 0 - - - 0 0 Air-purifying Yes 2 3 1 6 4 1 - 5 11 houseplants No 3 2 1 6 3 4 3 10 16 Yes 2 4 - 6 1 - - 1 7 Charcoal No - 2 1 3 3 2 4 9 12 Yes 1 - - 1 1 2 2 5 6 Other No - 2 - 2 1 - - 1 3 No. of respondents 24 37 24 85 47 29 48 124 209 (multiple responses) No. of respondents 11 15 14 40 23 15 22 60 100 lacking cross ventilation, opening windows also ranked "no." For other measures and eco-friendly building first, cited by 58 out of the 60 respondents, followed by materials, one of the three and one of the one said bake-out (35), air-purifying houseplants (15), charcoal "yes," respectively. (10), and finally other (6). The percentage of female Out of the 58 female homemakers in non-cross homemakers who took the action of opening windows ventilation plans who tried opening windows, 34 in order to relieve SBS was the highest among the indicated "yes" while 24 replied "no," followed by the measures taken with both types of plan (See Table 11.). bake-out method where 25 out of 35 indicated "no" 3.4.2 Satisfaction Levels for Measures against SBS and ten selected "yes." For air-purifying houseplants, These 100 female homemakers who took measures ten out of 15 indicated negative satisfaction, while five to address SBS were also asked whether or not they answered in the affirmative, with charcoal receiving were satisfied with their remedies, with multiple nine votes for "no" and one for "yes." In terms of other responses allowed. Among those with apartment plans measures, five out of the six who tried them said "yes" featuring cross ventilation, all of the 37 respondents and one responded "no." Female homemakers living who cited opening windows responded "yes." Among in apartment units with cross ventilation plans all the 23 female homemakers who chose bake-out, reported being satisfied with opening windows, while twelve answered "no" while eleven indicated "yes," the satisfaction level of their counterparts was low. The followed by air-purifying houseplants where six out of satisfaction levels for bake-out were below 50% for twelve responded positively and the other half marked both plan types (See Table 12.). JAABE vol.13 no.1 January 2014 Jae-Hoon Lee 69 4. Conclusion Acknowledgment The results of the study are as follows. This research was supported by Basic Science First, SBS symptoms were reported to be one and Research Program through the National Research a half to two times more frequent among occupants Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of of apartments lacking a cross ventilation floor plan Education, Science and Technology (20110028471) than among those with floor plans allowing cross ventilation. Furthermore, the occurrence of SBS Notes Yu Yeong-shik (2004), Multiple Chemical Sensitivity and Allergy of among "female homemakers," the household members Sick House Syndrome, Daihak Publishing Company, Seoul, pp.1-2. who spend the greatest amount of time in the home, In this paper, cross-ventilation floor plan refers to a flat-type was two or three times higher than that among married apartment unit plan with operable front and rear windows (windows men or children. This would indicate that female that can be opened/closed), while non-cross ventilation floor plan homemakers living in non-cross ventilation plans are describes a tower-type apartment unit plan with operable windows in the front and on the side. more vulnerable to SBS. Daum Encyclopedia Second, the space most commonly associated with Son Jong-ryeol, et al. (2008), Indoor Environment and Health, SBS symptoms by respondents was found to be the DongHwa Technology Co., Seoul, p.53. "entryway" in both types of plan, suggesting that Jang Ji-hye (2005), "Perceived Sick Building Syndrome and narrowness and enclosure of a space may correlate Responses of Residents in Newly Built apartments," Master's thesis, Yonsei University, pp.20-21. to its association with SBS symptoms. In addition, a Ministry of Environment (2007), "Changes in Indoor Air Pollution number of occupants of apartment units with non-cross over Three Years after Construction of Apartments," pp.6-7. ventilation plans even associated the "living room" with such symptoms, intimating that SBS could be References causing considerable inconvenience in their daily lives. 1) Sohn Young-Sun and Lee Jae-Hoon (2012), "A Study on the Sick T h i r d , a m a j o r i t y o f o c c u p a n t s we r e f o u n d t o House Syndrome Symptoms by the Floor Type of the Apartment," use "bake-out" to address SBS, but their reported Architectural Institute of Korea, Collected Academic Conference Papers, 32(2). satisfaction with the measure was low. As an 2) Lee Hyun-Chul and Go Seong-Seok (2007), "A Study on the alternative, they also attempted "natural ventilation," Preventing Counterplan of Sick House Syndrome through for which their satisfaction level was high in apartment Analyzing Residents' Demand of Apartment House," Architectural plans with cross ventilation, but not so with non-cross Institute of Korea, Collected Academic Conference Papers, 21(10). ventilation plans. 3) Yoo Bok-Hee and Park Na-Rae (2010), "Influential Factors and Characteristics on Perception of Indoor Air Quality based on Taken together, these results suggest that narrow and Apartment Residents' Responses," Architectural Institute of Korea, enclosed spaces with built-in closets such as entryways Collected Academic Conference Papers, 26(1). or bathrooms should be placed so as to allow outside 4) Park Hyeon-Ku, Song Hyuk and Go Seong-Seok (2005), "A Study air to pass through windows and provide natural on the Improvement Plan of Indoor Air Quality in an Apartment: ventilation. through the Questionnaire to the Patients of Sick House Syndrome," Architectural Institute of Korea, Collected Academic Spaces not allowing outside air have recently been Conference Papers, 25(1). equipped with mechanical ventilation systems, and 5) Lee You-Mi, Lee Yun-Gyu, Han Kil-Won, Jeong Chang-Heon the authors agree regarding the effectiveness of these and Choi Jong-Moon (2005), "A Study on the Analysis of the systems. However, taking into account occupants' Residents' Consciousness about Indoor Air Quality of Multi- perception of being burdened with the maintenance Family Housing," Architectural Institute of Korea, Collected Academic Conference Papers, 25(1). and with the management costs of ventilators, it would 6) Kim Mi-Kyoung (2006), "A Study about a Recognition of be desirable to provide floor plans offering natural Residents who Live in the Apartment House Related to the Quality ventilation. of the Interior Air," Master's thesis, Environmental Education, In addition, the usage of construction materials with Graduate School of Education, Kyung Hee University. chemical contaminants associated with SBS needs to 7) Jung Yu-Sin (2005), "A Study on the Relative Responses of Dwellers on Indoor Air Environment in Apartment," Master's thesis, be much more strictly regulated. Architectural Engineering, Graduate School, Dong-Eui University. Therefore, when building apartments, construction 8) Choi Yoon-Jung, Kang Mi-Ra, An Hye-Jung & Lee Hye-Min firms are encouraged to select floor plan designs (2006), "TVOC Concentrations and Residents' Responses on Sick offering cross ventilation over those that do not. Also, House Syndrome of Newly-Built Apartments," Korean Institute of when selecting a non-cross ventilation floor plan Interior Design, Collected Conference Papers, 15(4). 9) Jin Chul Park, Young Cheol Kwon, Hyun Do Jun (2011), "A design is inevitable, they should consider a variety of Study on the Improvement of Indoor Air Quality of Newly-Built measures to mitigate SBS, including the usage of eco- Apartment Houses Using Low Emission Building Materials", friendly building materials as well as the installation Journal of Asian Architecture and Building Engineering, 10(1). of mechanical ventilation systems with reduced maintenance costs. 70 JAABE vol.13 no.1 January 2014 Jae-Hoon Lee
Journal
Journal of Asian Architecture and Building Engineering
– Taylor & Francis
Published: Jan 1, 2014
Keywords: apartment buildings; apartment unit plan; sick building syndrome
