On the borderline of “sick” and “healthy” buildings and schools: the concept of sustainability problematised.

Indoor air in our homes, workplaces and schools is a global concern, an issue in policy and science, and part of the World Health Organization's programme on environmental awareness. In the present article, the official discourse on sustainable development in Sweden is related to a specific problem of the indoor environment, namely sick-building syndrome (SBS) and the notion of “sick” buildings. This health problem will be analysed here from different perspectives: political, scientific and practical. In the context of sustainable policy, Swedish authorities are taking measures to ensure that citizens can breathe good indoor air in “healthy” buildings. With regard to scientific evidence, SBS is not a clear-cut risk, and there is no known cause-mechanism-effect chain. It is a diffuse risk, and in society, it is also typically associated with social conflicts and mass media interests. In practice, the conflict confirms the difficulties inherent in defining sick and healthy buildings. Different societal interests and different professions are competing with each other to take the upper hand in defining the situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]