Foul air

People working in air-conditioned offices are likely to suffer twice as many respiratory problems as those who work in naturally ventilated buildings. Dan Teuculescu of INSERM, the French national medical research agency, found people working in air-conditioned offices in Britain, Italy and Scandinavia, with the so called "sick building syndrome'. The researcher says that the recirculated air carries bacteria and fungi which spread the infections (New Scientist , Vol 156, No 2104).