Exposures, Symptoms and Risk Perception among Office Workers in Relation to Nanoparticles in the Work Environment

Hans Orru, Henrik Olstrup, Annika Hagenbjörk, Steven Nordin and Kati Orru
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Hans Orru: Section of Sustainable Health, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden
Henrik Olstrup: Section of Sustainable Health, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden
Annika Hagenbjörk: Section of Sustainable Health, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden
Steven Nordin: Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden
Kati Orru: Institute of Social Studies, University of Tartu, Lossi 36, 51003 Tartu, Estonia

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 10, 1-13

Abstract: Submicroscopic nanoparticles (NPs) in air have received much attention due to their possible effects on health and wellbeing. Adverse health impacts of air pollution may not only be associated with level of exposure, but also mediated by the perception of the pollution and by beliefs of the exposure being hazardous. The aim of this study was to test a model that describes interrelations between NP pollution, perceived air quality, health risk perception, stress, and sick building syndrome. In the NanoOffice study, the level of NPs was measured and a survey on health risk perception was conducted among 260 employees in twelve office buildings in northern Sweden. Path analyses were performed to test the validity of the model. The data refute the model proposing that the NP exposure level significantly influences stress, chronic diseases, or SBS symptoms. Instead, the perceived exposure influences the perceived risk of NP, and the effect of perceived exposure on SBS and chronic disease is mediated by stress. There was little concern about nanoparticles, despite relatively high levels in some facilities. Perceived pollution and health risk perception may explain a large part of the environmentally induced symptoms and diseases, particularly in relatively low levels of pollution. The research results raise important questions on the physiologically or psychologically mediated health effects of air pollution.

Keywords: nanoparticles; exposure; risk perception; work environment; SBS; path analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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