If you are one of thousands of Australians who spend most of their time in the office, than you are likely to suffer from all manner of health problems caused by the workplace environment. Unless your job requires you to spend all working hours on the beach or in the forest, chances are that 90 percent of your daily life is constrained under the roof of a building. This is not a healthy natural environment designed for the human nature. You may observe this by the simple act of taking a short walk in the park. How wonderful it feels to just relax your system and not worry about anything! Even the biggest problems dissipate all the sudden. If you try to blame a rude boss or annoying people you have to deal with at work, you may be looking for the root of the problem at the wrong places. In fact, the way you feel may be explained by your physical office space.

Believe it or not, the air inside our offices and homes may be much more polluted than the air outside in even the largest and most industrialized cities. The quality of outdoor air pollution is controlled by the National Environment Protection Council, but there is no regulatory agency which sets the standards for indoor air pollution. One of the reasons is that from a toxicological perspective, it may be almost impossible to pinpoint the appropriate levels of toxic air pollutants because everybody reacts differently to various chemicals. Age, genetic predisposition, overall lifestyle, health history all play a role and finding the perfect medium in setting the guidelines may seem like an impossible task. The CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) reports that indoor air pollution costs Australia $12 billion a year. Additionally, American Medical Association has found that 94 percent of all respiratory ailments are caused by polluted air.

Even if you don't sense the smell of any particular chemical, it doesn't mean that it's not whirling around. Being invisible in nature, potential dangers of indoor air pollution come from tobacco smoke, house dust mites, fungi, molds, asbestos-containing insulation, central heating and cooling systems and humidification devices. Less known are the unsuspected sources of toxic chemicals such as the freshly cleaned carpet, the newly painted walls, the plastic coverings of computers and phones, and even the cartridge from the never-stopping printer.

You may expect health effects from indoor air pollutants right after exposure or, possibly, years later. You don't have to be particularly sensitive to any certain chemical to feel the ill effects. Even mild intolerance to something that just doesn't make you feel well can be extremely dangerous for your health. Symptoms differ depending on individual reactions ranging from headaches, sneezing, coughing to irritation of the eyes, fatigue and depression. These immediate effects are usually short-term and may be treated by simply reducing the exposure to the irritant.

If you don't notice any changes immediately when you enter the office, continuous exposure to undetected air pollutants may lead to more serious symptoms and diseases, such as asthma, hypersensitivity, pneumonitis, and humidifier fever.

Minimizing Effects of Indoor Pollution

Pay attention to how you feel every time you enter your office place and what is your condition after a day's work. Some symptoms may be similar to colds or other viral diseases, so it is often difficult to determine the cause. If the symptoms go away as soon as you step outside, then the root of the problem is most likely to be in the office environment.

The following are the simple things you can do to minimise your exposure to indoor pollutants: Try to open the windows and doors whenever possible and ventilate the office daily for at least 15 minutes. Adequate supply of outside air is necessary to dilute indoor pollutants. Leave your desk and step outside with every chance you can get, even if it is for five minutes. The refreshment you can get in such a short period of time will surprise you and you will find yourself to be more energised and productive.

Instead of e-mailing messages to your co-workers, use the occasion as an opportunity to walk around the office and talk to the people you need. This way you are less likely to be constantly exposed to a particular set of chemicals circulating in the air around your desk and causing allergic reactions due to overexposure.

Setting up an Air Cleaner is a good strategy to help you minimize the harmful effects of some particulates. Ranging from sophisticated whole-house systems to small portable models, these may be effective at removing some particles. Generally, larger Air Cleaners can filter a lot more chemicals than smaller table-top devices.

Put green natural plants around your office. In addition to creating a comfortable welcoming atmosphere around your desk, these living companions will clean and revitalize the air around. Plants convert carbon dioxide to much needed oxygen, balance the humidity of the air, and process airborne pollutants. NASA has found that indoor plants filter at least three dangerous chemicals commonly found in virtually all modern offices: benzene, formaldehyde and trichloroethylene. Consider the set-up of your office and choose matching plants that can thrive in given climate and light.