"Dry air" - literature study on the effects on health

(in German)

A literature study examines the influence of dry indoor air on the aspects of the health of the skin, eyes and mucous membranes of the respiratory tract as well as the transmission of pathogens. The focus is on employees, in technologically unaffected climates such as office areas, in seasonally dry air (cold season) and on countries with a temperate climate in the period 2006 to 2019. This study concludes with the review of (von Hahn 2007). A total of 10 reviews as well as 27 laboratory, field and other studies were recorded, questionnaire surveys were not included. In the result of the evaluation, different effects such as drier skin and a longer activity of influenza viruses at low atmospheric humidity can be recognized for the individual aspects, but these apply to different, mostly not permanently limited, areas of atmospheric humidity. In the case of effects observed on the eyes and respiratory mucous membranes, the influence of other factors often prevails. In this respect, it is not yet possible to derive the need for concrete measures in relation to an intervention with an increase in the air humidity in the cold season in rooms of workplaces for the aspects considered here.

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Bibliographic information

Title:  "Trockene Luft" - Literaturstudie zu den Auswirkungen auf die Gesundheit. 

Written by:  K. Bux, N. von Hahn

1. edition.  Dortmund:  Bundesanstalt für Arbeitsschutz und Arbeitsmedizin, 2020.  pages: 45, paper, PDF file, DOI: 10.21934/baua:bericht20200624

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