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Cited by 183Indoor Air Quality and Microbial ExposureFacilities and Workplace ManagementBuilding Energy and Comfort Optimization

Effects of pollution from personal computers on perceived air quality, SBS symptoms and productivity in offices

Open access
Bako-Biro, Z., Wargocki, P., Weschler, C. J., Fanger, P. O.·2004·Indoor Air
DOI 10.1111/j.1600-0668.2004.00218.x
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Abstract

UNLABELLED: In groups of six, 30 female subjects were exposed for 4.8 h in a low-polluting office to each of two conditions--the presence or absence of 3-month-old personal computers (PCs). These PCs were placed behind a screen so that they were not visible to the subjects. Throughout the exposure the outdoor air supply was maintained at 10 l/s per person. Under each of the two conditions the subjects performed simulated office work using old low-polluting PCs. They also evaluated the air quality and reported Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) symptoms. The PCs were found to be strong indoor pollution sources, even after they had been in service for 3 months. The sensory pollution load of each PC was 3.4 olf, more than three times the pollution of a standard person. The presence of PCs increased the percentage of people dissatisfied with the perceived air quality from 13 to 41% and increased by 9% the time required for text processing. Chemical analyses were performed to determine the pollutants emitted by the PCs. The most significant chemicals detected included phenol, toluene, 2-ethylhexanol, formaldehyde, and styrene. The identified compounds were, however, insufficient in concentration and kind to explain the observed adverse effects. This suggests that chemicals other than those detected, so-called 'stealth chemicals', may contribute to the negative effects. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: PCs are an important, but hitherto overlooked, source of pollution indoors. They can decrease the perceived air quality, increase SBS symptoms and decrease office productivity. The ventilation rate in an office with a 3-month-old PC would need to be increased several times to achieve the same perceived air quality as in a low-polluting office with the PC absent. Pollution from PCs has an important negative impact on the air quality, not only in offices but also in many other spaces, including homes. PCs may have played a role in previously published studies on SBS and perceived air quality, where PCs were overlooked as a possible pollution source in the indoor environment. The fact that the chemicals identified in the office air and in the chamber experiments were insufficient to explain the adverse effects observed during human exposures illustrates the inadequacy of the analytical chemical methods commonly used in indoor air quality investigations. For certain chemicals the human senses are much more sensitive than the chemical methods routinely used in indoor air quality investigations. The adverse effects of PC-generated air pollutants could be reduced by modifications in the manufacturing process, increased ventilation, localized PC exhaust, or personalized ventilation systems.

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  • About 70% of a pupil's time during school days is spent inside a classroom.

    “Over 70% of a pupil's school life is spent inside a classroom”

    From Investigation of Indoor Air Quality and the Identification of Influential Factors at Primary Schools in the North of China (2017) · cites this paper as [18]

    The Introduction discusses how much of employees’ working time involves PCs, and the Approach describes an office experiment with adult subjects. Searches for pupils, classrooms, and the 70% figure found no passage about how pupils spend their school time. The cited paper therefore does not verify this claim. (LLM, conf=0.75)

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Research works printed but not linked: 7

  1. [4]4. Black, M.S. and Worthan, A.W. (1999) Emissions from office equipment. In: Proceedings of Indoor Air '99, 8th Inter- national Conference on Indoor Air Quality and Climate, Edinburgh, Vol. 2, 454-459.
  2. [10]10. Clements-Croome, D. and Jukes, J. (2001) Electromagnetic radiation and comfort in the workplace. In: Proceedings of Clima 2000, 7th REHVA World Congress, Napoli (on CD).
  3. [11]11. Committee on Man and Radiation (COMAR) (1997) Biological and health effects of electric and magnetic fields from video display terminals, IEEE Eng. Med. Biol., 16, 87-92.
  4. [27]27. Salthammer, T. and Wensing, M. (2002) Flame retardants in the indoor environ- ment. Part IV: classification of experi- mental data from house dust, indoor air and chamber tests. In: Proceedings of Indoor Air 2002, 9th International Con- ference on Indoor Air Quality and Climate, Monterey, Vol. 2, 213-218.
  5. [29]29. Skyberg, K., Skulberg, K., Eduard, W., Vistnes, A.I. and Goffeng, L.O. (1997) Electric fields, dust and health problems among VDU-users in an office environ- ment. An intervention program. In: Pro- ceedings of HCI International '97, 7th International Conference on Human-Com- puter Interaction, San Francisco, Vol. 1, 655-657.
  6. [36]36. Wensing, M. (1999) Determination of organic chemical emissions from elec- tronic devices. In: Proceedings of Indoor Air '99, 8th International Conference on Indoor Air Quality and Climate, Edin- burgh, Vol. 5, 87-92.
  7. [37]37. Wensing, M., Kummer, T., Riemann, A. and Schwampe, W. (2002) Emissions from electronic devices: examination of com- puter monitors and laser printers in a 1 m 3 emission test chamber. In: Proceed- ings of Indoor Air 2002, 9th International Conference on Indoor Air Quality and Climate, Monterey, Vol. 2, 554-559.

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Authors
Bako-Biro, Z., Wargocki, P., Weschler, C. J., & Fanger, P. O.
Affiliations
Technical University of Denmark (DK)
ORCID
Venue
Indoor Air
Publisher
Hindawi Limited
Published
2004-06
Volume
14
Issue
3
Pages
178-187
ISSN
  • 0905-6947 (ISSN-L)
  • 1600-0668
DOI
10.1111/j.1600-0668.2004.00218.x
OpenAlex
W2102262668
Cited by
180
References
29
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 14 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 10 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 11 · 2013: 8 · 2012: 13
FWCI
7.82
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
doi.wiley.com/10.1002/tdm_license_1.1 (tdm, 4109 d)
Locations
  • Indoor Air (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Technical University of Denmark, DTU Orbit (Technical University of Denmark, DTU) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • Teknologi og Produktion, Det Frie Forskningsråd
  • Danmarks Tekniske Universitet
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Indoor Air Quality and Microbial Exposure
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Facilities and Workplace Management
  • Physical Sciences › Engineering › Building and Construction › Building Energy and Comfort Optimization
Keywords
personal computers, indoor air pollution, sick building syndrome, perceived air quality, office productivity, office ventilation, formaldehyde, toluene, phenols, 2-ethylhexanol, styrene, office workers
MeSH terms
Adult, Air Pollutants, Female, Humans, Hydrocarbons, Microcomputers, Perception, Task Performance and Analysis, Air Pollution, Indoor, Sick Building Syndrome

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