[EMERGING]Emerging
Airborne gram-negative bacteria and endotoxin measured across office buildings with differing symptom rates
A survey of office buildings reported substantially higher airborne endotoxin concentrations in buildings where occupants reported more symptoms.
How to read this
This library reports what studies found. An entry describes a study's design, its findings in its own terms, and its limits. Nothing here is a claim about what a Sage Co. home does, delivers, or prevents.
Last reviewed August 30, 2026.
What they studied
- A survey of 1,355 employees across 19 governmental office buildings in the Netherlands.
- Air sampling for gram-negative bacteria and endotoxin.
- Comparison of buildings classified by occupant symptom prevalence.
What they found
- Airborne endotoxin concentrations were reported as several times higher in the higher-symptom buildings.
- Gram-negative bacteria were recovered more frequently in those buildings.
- The authors reported that measured physical building characteristics did not explain the symptom difference.
What this study does not establish
- Cross-sectional design; exposure and symptoms measured concurrently.
- Office buildings, not residences.
- The study does not establish that endotoxin caused the reported symptoms.
- This entry reports the study. It is not a statement about any building Sage Co. designs or constructs.
Source
Teeuw KB, Vandenbroucke-Grauls CMJE, Verhoef J (1994). Airborne gram-negative bacteria and endotoxin in sick building syndrome: a study in Dutch governmental office buildings. Archives of Internal Medicine 154(20):2339–2345.
endotoxinbacteriaofficessick building syndrome
Elsewhere under Indoor Air Quality
- Cognitive test scores measured against CO2, ventilation, and VOC levels in an office setting
- Toxicological review of microbial volatile organic compounds in moisture-damaged buildings
- Acute responses measured in a controlled human exposure to 1-octen-3-ol
- Dopamine handling and neurodegeneration measured in model systems exposed to 1-octen-3-ol
- Classroom microbial VOC measurements compared against reported respiratory symptoms in pupils
- Measured dwelling microbial VOCs compared against sick building syndrome reports in three cities
- Review asking whether some fungal volatile compounds meet the definition of mycotoxins
- Proinflammatory mediators measured in cell lines exposed to indoor bacteria and fungal spores
- Dust fungi and endotoxin measured against respiratory symptoms in a water-damaged office building
- Chemical marker analysis used to detect microbial colonization in water-damaged building materials
- Endotoxin, ergosterol, muramic acid, and fungal DNA measured in school dust against rhinitis reports
- Airborne macrocyclic trichothecene mycotoxins measured in water-damaged indoor environments
- Satratoxin G and H measured in indoor air of a water-damaged dwelling
- Mycotoxin survey of building material samples from water-damaged buildings
- Systematic review of airborne mycotoxin exposure across environments and tasks