Essential
- Air conditioning offers summer comfort, but poorly maintained, it can become a source of harmful microbes, allergens and chemicals.
- It is involved in the “sick building syndrome” and can transmit bacterial, fungal or viral infections.
- Regular maintenance remains the key to preserving its profits while limiting health risks.
In the heat wave, air conditioning often appears as a blessing. By maintaining a comfortable temperature and by reducing humidity, it makes the interior bearable even by great heat. But, as a microbiologist recalls in The Conversation, “This fear is not completely unfounded” : a poorly maintained air conditioning system can become a real microbes nest.
When buildings make people sick
The “sick building syndrome” designates a set of symptoms (headache, persistent cough, nasal congestion, fatigue …) which appear after prolonged time in an air -conditioned environment. They “Tend to worsen longer we stay” And disappear once. An Indian study of 2023 followed 400 adults for two years. The 200 people working daily in air -conditioned offices had more symptoms and a “Stronger prevalence of allergies”as well as a reduced pulmonary function and more absences at work.
How to explain it? In case of dysfunction, air conditioners can release allergens, toxic chemicals (benzene, formaldehyde, toluene) or microorganisms in the air. Poorly cleaned systems can also house dangerous bacteria like Legionella pneumophila, responsible for the legionellosis. This pulmonary infection, often contracted in collective places, can be serious and require hospitalization.
Hospitals have also observed the presence of fungi such as Aspergillus or Penicillium in their ventilation systems. In fragile people, these infections can affect not only the lungs, but also the brain, the liver or the skin. Finally, certain viral infections such as norovirus have been transmitted via air conditioning, including in a nursery school in China where “20 students presented gastroenteritis”.
An essential interview
Dry air produced by air conditioning can also weaken nasal mucous membranes and promote infections. However, a well -maintained system remains an ally: it “Filter contaminants, fungal spores, bacteria and viruses” And can even reduce the spread of diseases such as COVVI-19.
The message is clear: to take advantage of the benefits of air conditioning without undergoing the risks, regular maintenance is essential. Cleaning the filters, verification of water circuits and chemicals surveillance are all gestures that transform this potentially dangerous device into a silent protector of our health.
