Greenpeace

Ever wonder why your eyes are dry, you feel tired, dizzy, fatigued and display a lack of concentration in your work place? Though it might be easy to blame these feelings on your workload, the real cause may be found in the physical structure of your workplace. American's spend close to 90% of their lives indoors, and much of this time may be spent in environments that are incredibly polluted. Obviously there is a great concern for our air quality in general, however it seems as though little attention is given to the air you are surrounded with in your home or work environment.

Many offices offer poor air ventilation and circulation with little or no natural lighting. Dark, warm and stagnant environments are magnets for mold and mildew growth. Indoor spaces are also littered with chemicals and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) that infiltrate and are circulated through the air via heating and cooling systems. Office buildings become vacuums of unhealthiness.

There are many harmful effects of being exposed to these sort of environments including short term health effects such as the aforementioned, however there may also be long term health risks including susceptibility to respiratory problems.

So what can be done? Most short term health effects are remedied by simply stepping out of the polluted spaces, into the great outdoors. The good news is that most actors causing air quality problems are an easy fix, and simple awareness is enough to make an improvement. Opening windows, replacing air filters, eliminating possible mold surfaces, working with natural cleansers and surfaces, and also introducing indoor plants into the workplace can all act to improve your indoor environment.With the introduction of green building practices, the nature of healthier indoor environments is created right from the start.

It is important to care for all environments, including the one you spend 8+ hours a day in! Healthier environments are shown to yield higher employee efficiency and who wouldn't be more productive knowing your days of general discomfort are over? Sounds like a win win.

for more info go to:

http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/sbs.html