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The WHO has identified "Sick Building Syndrome" (SBS) as a genuine syndrome diagnosed by acute effects on health and comfort that occur in a specific enclosed artificial environment, such as an office building. Although SBS to date appears to have no single causative agent, poor air quality high in contaminants is known to be the leading factor. People suffering from SBS usually display a variety of symptoms that include headaches, eye, nose, and throat irritations, fatigue and lethargy, chronic cough, dizziness, nausea, allergies, itchy skin, sinus congestion, respiratory problems, exacerbation of asthmatic conditions, and more.

Poor indoor air quality may also lead to Building Related Illnesses (BRI), a term that covers any diagnosable illness whose cause can be directly attributed to airborne pollutants within a building.

Indoor pollution is a serious problem due to poor air conditioning, irregularly cleaned air filters, and dirty mechanical ventilation systems. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that indoor air is two to five times as polluted as outdoor air. Indoor pollution affects the workplace and the health of workers, leading to lost productivity, health problems, and increased medical expenses.

Improving awareness of the severity of the indoor pollution problem could facilitate the support needed for stronger actions to improve air quality. It is high time we acknowledged that air quality – both indoor and outdoor – is capital as important to our territory as any monetary currency, and therefore well worth any short-term investment that will lead to long-term benefits in areas such as health and healthcare costs, job performance.