Buildings and Health

The document details the health impacts of radon, lead, mold, and volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) in buildings, particularly schools. It highlights that indoor pollutant levels often exceed outdoor levels and notes the significant financial costs of poor air quality, contrasted with the potential billions of dollars in savings from building improvements and increased worker productivity.

• Radon is identified as a critical environmental health issue, with more than 20,000 annual deaths in the U.S. attributed to radon-related lung cancer. In 1994, over 70,000 schoolrooms were in use with high short-term radon levels.
• Lead-based paint is the primary source of lead exposure, which is described as the top environmental threat to children's health in the U.S. Exposure can cause cognitive development issues, ADHD, and reading disabilities. Approximately 25% of all schools, and one-third of the oldest schools, were either never renovated or renovated before lead paint limits were established.
• Indoor air pollutants, including Volatile Organic Chemicals (VOCs), can be 2 to 100 times higher than outdoor levels. VOCs, emitted from materials like paints and carpets, can cause nausea, liver and kidney damage, and cancer. Poor indoor air quality is a significant concern in schools, with a 1995 GAO report stating over half of U.S. schools have air quality problems.
• Mold in buildings causes asthma attacks and significant financial losses; insurance companies paid $2.5 billion in mold-related claims in 2005. Specific examples include the 2002 closure of Heritage High School in Tennessee for four weeks due to mold, costing an estimated $1 million in repairs.
• Improving building health and sustainable design can lead to massive economic gains. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory estimates annual U.S. savings from building improvements could include $10-20 billion from reduced sick building syndrome and $12-125 billion from improved worker performance.

APA

Environmental and Energy Study Institute (2006). Buildings and Health. https://www.eesi.org/files/eesi_buildings_health_091106.pdf

Chicago

Environmental and Energy Study Institute. Buildings and Health. 2006. https://www.eesi.org/files/eesi_buildings_health_091106.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Environmental and Energy Study Institute |title=Buildings and Health |date=September 2006 |url=https://www.eesi.org/files/eesi_buildings_health_091106.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{environmentalandenergystudyinstitute2006buildings, author = {{Environmental and Energy Study Institute}}, title = {{Buildings and Health}}, institution = {Environmental and Energy Study Institute}, year = {2006}, month = sep, url = {https://www.eesi.org/files/eesi_buildings_health_091106.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }