Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) is a term used to describe a situation in which occupants of a particular building have experienced acute health effects that seem to be correlated to time spent in the building, but a specific cause or illness can not be identified. SBS can be throughout the building or in a particular room or zone.
In contrast, Building Related Illness (BRI) is a term used when symptoms of an illness are identified and are directly attributed to airborne building contaminants.
Although specific causes are unknown, some contributing factors to Sick Building Syndrome include chemical contaminants from both indoor and outdoor sources, inadequate ventilation, and biological contaminants such as mold, pollen, bacteria, and viruses.
Some solutions to SBS include removal of bacterial contaminant source, increasing ventilation rates and air distribution, as well as air filtration systems to clean the air.