This is known as sick building syndrome. Public buildings and schools also suffer with sick building syndrome. Sometimes chemically sensitive children cannot attend school due to indoor air contaminants. These children often have to learn by correspondence at home. They miss out on social skills, craft, sport and other activities.
Many materials commonly used in schools are toxic e.g. art materials, pesticides.
The workplace can be a major source of chemical exposure. Standards are set for chemical exposures in the workplace by Worksafe, our occupational health and safety authority. While medications are designed to be therapeutic, they contain active and inert ingredients that are capable of provoking adverse reactions in sensitive persons. Sometimes the main ingredient may be the cause of an adverse reaction, but medications, like food, can contain additives such as fillers, colourings, preservatives and other ingredients that may affect a chemically sensitive person. Chemicals are so prevalent in our society that not only have they caused environmental damage, but they have also contributed to human health problems.