Bau-Biology Standard SBM 2008: A Unique Indoor Environmental Assessment Tool

The professional Bau-Biology Standard SBM 2008 provides a uniqueand comprehensiveassessment and evaluation system consisting of over30 indoor environmental parameters. The Standard uses an unorthodox approach because it is not based on single threshold limit values derived from medical dose responses. Instead, the Standard uses a gra­dient scale with four different levels based on the concentration levels normally encountered in na­
ture or non-problem buildings. The evaluation cri­teria are determined by the deviations from this normal state and are expressed as categories of change. The categories are: normal environment, slight change, significant change, and severe change. The table below defines the four catego­ries used in the Standard and provides an example for carbon dioxide (C02) levels.

Normal Environment	Slight Change	Significant Change	Severe Change
Reflects normal envi­ronmental conditions or common and inevitable background levels in our civilized environment	Slightly higher levels; fol­lowing the precautionary principle, long-term miti­gation is recommended, especially with sensitive or ill individuals	Likely to present an elevated risk; short-term mitigation is recom­mended	Call for immediate action and mitigation; in many cases interna­tional guidelines for occupational exposure limits may be reached or exceeded
C02 <500 ppm	C02 500-700 ppm	C02 700-1000 ppm	C02 >1000 ppm

The Bau-Biology Standard is based on the pre­cautionary principle. It is derived from studies based on long-term exposure during the human regeneration phase (while sleeping) and was es­tablished over decades of experience. The refer­ence values are designed for sleeping areas, not for commercial or industrial workplaces. All other standards in North America are based on the work­place and do not directly address health at home. The Bau-Biology Standard itself is divided into two sections: Evaluation Guidelines and StandardTest­ing Methodology. These are further differentiated into three groups of environmental parameters:

• Group A. Indoor Air Climate and Environmen­tal Toxins

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• Group B. Fungi, Bacteria, and Allergens

• Group C. Physical Fields and Radiation

A comprehensive assessment of potential biologi­cal environmental risk factors and their reduction to achievable levels are the basis of the Standard.

The Institute for Bau-Biology and Ecology (IBN) was founded in 1976 by Anton Schneider of Ger­many. The German word "Bau" means building, habitat, or shelter. "Biology" refers to the study of living things. The institute studies and addresses the impact buildings have on human health and promotes healthy, environmentally and ecologi­cally friendly construction techniques.

The Standard was developed between 1987 and 1992 by the consulting firm of Baubiologie

Maes in conjunction with the IBN, environmental consultants, physicians, and scientists. The docu­ment was initially published in the German jour­nal Wohnung und Gesundheit (Living Spaces and Health) in 1992. A ten-member Standard Commit­tee reviews and revises the document periodically. The latest update was in 2003. In the meantime, the Standard has been internationally accepted as a comprehensive tool for independent indoor environmental assessments in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand and is available in the United States through the International Institute for Bau — Biologie & Ecology in Clearwater, Florida.

The three groups of environmental param­eters and categories of change are outlined in a condensed version in the following tables. The Baubiology Evaluation Guidelines are proposed for sleeping areas and are not directly related to work areas.

Group A: Indoor Air Climate and Environmental Toxins

A	Parameter	Normal environment	Slight change	Significant change	Severe change
1	Carbon dioxide concentration in air (ppm)	600	600-1000	1000-1500	>1500
2	Relative humidity (%)	40-60	<40 / >60	<30/>70	<20/>80
3	Formaldehyde concentration in air (ppm)	0.02	0.02-0.05	0.05-0.1	>0.1
4	Total volatile organic compounds in air (pg/m3)	<100	100-300	300-1000	>1000
5	Total pesticides concentration in air (ng/m3)	<1	5-25	25-100	>100
6	PCP, lindane, permethrin in wood (mg/kg)	<1	1-10	10-100	>100
7	Dichlofluanid, chlorpyrifos in dust (mg/kg)	<0.5	0.5-2	2-10	>10
8	PCBs, chlorinated fire retardants in dust (mg/kg)	<0.5	0.5-2	2-10	>10
9	Polyaromatic hydrocarbons in dust (mg/kg)	<0.5	0.5-2	2-20	>20
10	Plasticizer in dust (mg/kg)	<100	100-250	250-1000	>1000
11	Small air ions (per cm3)	>500	200-500	100-200	<100
12	Electrostatic charge in air (V/m)	<100	100-500	500-2,000	>2,000

Group В: Fungi, Bacteria, and Allergens

В	Mold counts (spore counts or colony forming units)	1. Mold counts should be less or similar when compared to sur­rounding outdoor environments or non-problem buildings.
		II. Mold types in the indoor air should be similar to those present in the outside air.
		III. Particular toxic species such as Aspergillus or Stachybotrys, yeast-like fungi such as Candida or Cryptococcus, and coliform bacteria should be present only in low concentration levels.
		IV. Any suspected microbial colonization (water damage, odors, material deterioration, high RH, or building history) should be investigated.

Group C: Physical Fields and Radiation

C	Parameter	Normal environment	Slight change	Significant change	Severe change
1	AC electric fields in air (V/m)	<1	1 -5	5-50	>50
2	AC electric fields on body (mV)	<10	10-100	100-1000	>1000
3	AC magnetic fields, flux density (mG)	<0.2	0.2-1	1-5	>5
4	Microwaves in power density (uW/m2)	<0.1	0.1-10	10-100	>100
5	DC electrostatic charge, surface (V)	<100	100-500	500-2,000	>2,000
6	DC electrostatic charge, discharge time (s)	<10	10-30	30-60	>60
7	DC magnetic fields, deviation (ЦТ)	<1	1-2	2-10	>10
8	DC Magnetic fields, deviation (degree)	<2	2-10	10-100	>100
9	Ionizing radiation (increase in %)	<50	50-70	70-100	>100
10	Radon gas in air (Bq/m3)	<30	30-60	60-200	>200
11	Terrestrial radiation, deviation (nT)	<100	100-200	200-1,000	>1000
12	Terrestrial radiation, deviation (%)	<10	10-20	20-50	>50

The Standard Testing Methodology for these environmental parameters was developed in con­junction with the Evaluation Guidelines to provide consistent and repeatable measurement results. Bau-Biology building investigations and assess­ments are unique because they examine a large number of environmental factors and look to na­ture, our planet Earth, for guiding principles.

The Standard makes a quantum leap by ab­andoning the traditional dose response-based threshold and action levels. It provides informa­tion on normally encountered background levels and establishes gradients that enable the envi­ronmental consultant to put measurement values into a real-life, proactive perspective.

Most indoor environmental testing in the United States focuses on a very few factors such as mold, asbestos, formaldehyde, and lead. Rarely does it address the electromagnetic spectrum, which has changed so significantly over the last decades. The knowledge of how to test, assess, evaluate, and heal our habitats and structures em­powers us to improve our health, safety, and well­being in a lasting way.

For a copy of the actual standards or more in­formation on testing, assessment, and Bau-Biology concepts, contact the author or the institutes and associations listed below:

• Peter Sierck, President, Environmental Testing &Technology, Inc., 5431 Avenida Encinas, Suite F, Carlsbad, CA 92008,760-804-9400, PSierck@ ETandT. com, Baubiology. com

• I nstitut fur Baubiologie&Okologie Neubeuern IBN, baubiologie. de

• International Institute for Bau-Biologie & Ecol­ogy (IBE), Clearwater, Florida, buildingbiology. net

* Berufsverbad Deutscher Baubiologen (VDB), baubiologie. net

• Verband Baubiologie, verband-baubiologie. de

Peter Sierck, CMC, CMRS, REA, BBEI, founder of En — vironmentalTesting andTechnology, Inc. (ET&T) in 1986, pioneered indoor air quality testing meth­ods and procedures for residential and commer­cial buildings. Peter is a naturopathic physician, industrial hygienist, and Bau-Biologist. He has surveyed and helped remediate over 3,000 build­ings and is a member of the Bau-Biology Standard Committee.

or glass slide and ship it to the laboratory. The lab technicians will stain the tape sample to make the fungal growth easier to view and then examine it under a microscope.