YOU ARE WHERE YOU ARE!
Thanks to scientific developments, we know that melting Arctic glaciers cause more frequent extreme weather events. It is also known that burning incomplete wood is not green energy and does not reduce CO2 emissions (https://naukawpolsce.pap.pl). Science is increasingly hinting at possible risks. It is up to us how we use this knowledge, both to live, eat healthy but also to live healthy and safe.
Many people ask me, is there such a thing as healthy housing, healthy real estate?
Of course there is!
I have experienced this on my own skin and the health of myself and my loved ones. This prompted me to study the subject in greater depth. That's why it's an area I deal with on a daily basis, which I research, test and to prove its value I give specific examples that I have access to just through science. With this tool, you can help other people get out of many problems and ailments generated by real estate by also increasing its value and attractiveness.
To begin with some obvious facts. There is no doubt that the development of science and research methods has brought benefits in all areas of life. It helps us determine the current as well as future state of affairs, as well as the impact of various factors on health. Among other things, the use of advanced research methods makes it possible to diagnose and detect diseases at increasingly earlier stages, which increases the chances of their successful treatment.
And this is where we enter my territory. The search for harmful factors responsible for the development of many serious diseases and ailments has led scientists to the places where patients live - their properties. Based on these, the World Health Organization (WHO) has determined that the following have a direct or indirect impact on the health of residents: the physical construction of the building, the environment of the residence(interior design, interior design, materials and substances used, furnishings, the way the space is organized) and the immediate and local neighborhood.
WHO identifies the planes of scientific interest that have the greatest impact on occupant health:
-indoor air quality,
-lighting,
-noise,
-unintentional accidents,
-mold,
-building materials,
-pleases,
-building materials,
-finishing materials
-furniture emitting harmful substances,
-chemical pollutants such as tobacco smoke, volatile hydrocarbons or ozone (from photocopiers and printers), electrosmog (computer monitors).
In recent decades, two types of health problems have been identified relating to conditions in non-industrial buildings -residential and office buildings:
1.building-related illness -Building Related Illness (BRI)
2.Sick Building Syndrome -ZChB (SBS ).
In the first case, these are conditions that have a clearly defined origin related to the factor present in the residence and give a specific disease picture. The most common examples are: legionellosis, asbestos-related cancer, cancer, cancer following exposure to radioactive radon and its decay products, dust mite allergy and carbon dioxide poisoning.
Sick Building Syndrome is a combination of more physical and psychological discomfort symptoms that are so difficult to define that their occurrence cannot be linked to one specific factor. They are localized lesions with symptoms such as:
-dryness and irritation of the mucous membranes of the eyes, burning, feeling of roughness on the mucous membranes
-dryness and irritation of the throat, dry cough, “runny”, obstructed nose, pain in the sinus area
-dryness and irritation of the skin with redness, peeling of the epidermis usually on the face, auricles, upper extremities
General symptoms:
-headaches and dizziness, deterioration of attention concentration
- drowsiness, fatigue, depression nausea, heartburn, bad taste in mouth
-pain in the chest, a feeling of difficulty in breathing
-exacerbation of complaints related to an existing medical condition, such as asthma.
Some names for Sick Building Syndrome emphasize air quality, (Indoor Air Quality Syndrome), others emphasize symptoms of psychological discomfort (Environmental lilness, Chronic Fatique Syndrome), and others emphasize tightness inside the building, to volatile chemicals (Building Syndrome, Tight Building Syndrome, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity). In general, all aspects are important, none can be overlooked.
The WHO stresses that symptoms of Sick Building Syndrome mainly appear in new or newly renovated office buildings, residential buildings and buildings equipped with complex ventilation systems.
Sensational results have come from studies regarding the effects on human health of materials widely used in construction. Asbestos, which is commonly used as insulation for water and sewage pipes, lining of ventilation ducts, roofing or floor tiles, has been officially recognized as harmful, and in Poland it is to disappear completely only by 2032! And after all, this is not the only harmful substance that should also be banned. Many substances are recognized only as potentially harmful to health, and despite the knowledge of their negative effects on health, they have not yet been legally banned.
Such a substance is, for example, formaldehyde.
As early as September 11, 1996, it was classified as a probable human carcinogen, according to the MZiOS regulation and according to IARC (group 2A). Unfortunately, despite this, it is still used in the production of varnishes, adhesives, dyes, foams, wood panels, furniture and is used as a disinfectant.
Although its emissions decrease over time, it remains harmful - among other things, it irritates mucous membranes, causes inflammation of the respiratory tract, and causes severe headaches, chest tightness, general weakness, tearing, various types of sensitization and irritation up to and including cancer. According to ITH publications, between 30 and 60% of apartments in Poland are contaminated with this substance in concentrations exceeding safe values! And in as many as 20% of the surveyed interiors the only source was furniture!
Improper housing contributes to various ailments, from respiratory diseases and neurological disorders to psychological and behavioral disorders. The most vulnerable are children, the elderly, chronically ill or immunocompromised people.
According to the report “Healthy Homes Barometer 2018” one in three children in Europe lives in a building whose technical condition has a negative impact on health. In Poland, this is as many as 1.5 million children! Especially those living in single-family houses. According to the authors of the “Healthy Homes Barometer” report, living in so-called “sick houses” negatively affects the psychophysical development of a child. The most common ailments are wheezing, asthma, coughing, allergies, atopic dermatitis.
Weakened children perform worse on school assignments, and are more likely to miss lessons due to illness (an additional 2.5 days of absence per year per child), which often results in poorer academic performance. These health problems do not go away with adolescence, but continue into adulthood. Unfortunately, a child's poor health also affects parents, who, for example, have to take days off work more often.
The American Public Health Association identifies inadequate housing as a current public health crisis, claiming from research that the link between inadequate housing and poor health is increasingly well documented.
When looking for the causes of one's ailments and planning treatment, it is important to identify the factors inside the housing or office space responsible for irritating, toxic or allergic effects on the body. This can significantly shorten the diagnostic process, reduce its cost and speed up the correct diagnosis, which will allow you to start effective treatment sooner.
Thanks to science, we learn what makes a building “sick” and “infects” its occupants and users. It is on the results of scientific research that my proprietary 12 Determinants Method is based, allowing us to accurately analyze the degree of healthiness of a property and find the most harmful or unfavorable factor.
The starting point of the Method is the results of the research of the Bauhaus School, thanks to which we know that the way a space is organized directly affects the way the people who live there think and act.
Analysis of the property gives the opportunity to reduce or remove harmful elements and create a healthy facility: an apartment, hotel, or office, in which it is pleasant to stay. Positive Art is also helpful in this, which allows you to create any atmosphere in the premises, but that's a topic for another article.
