Environmental Consideration: Green At Work And Worship - Indoor Air Quality
How product selection impacts the air quality of your facility
As published in Worship Facilities, Apr/May 2005
When I was about 14 years old, my church built a beautiful new building in the suburbs of Nashville, Tennessee. Everyone was so excited that first Sunday when the congregation gathered to worship in the new building. But the following Sunday an announcement was made that one of the church's deacons, a life-long member, would no longer be attending services there because he was allergic to the new carpet. That experience has remained with me during my 25-year career as a professional interior designer, emphasizing to me my responsibility in selecting interior finishes and other products that do no harm.
According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, Americans spend an average of 90% of their time indoors, where levels of pollutants may be two to five times – and occasionally more than 100 times – higher than outdoor levels. The World Health Organization states that most of a person's daily exposure to air pollutants comes from indoor air (LEED-NC Version 2.1 Reference Guide, page 239, www.usgbc.org). Many of the pollutants in our indoor air cause personal health reactions. This includes people with asthma (approximately 17 million Americans) and allergies (approximately 40 million Americans).
A recent study by Greenguard Environmental Institute, a nonprofit organization providing third-party certification of low emitting interior products and building materials (www.greenguard.org), in the State of Washington evaluated 100 commonly used building materials for content. The results of the study identified 485 chemicals of which 80% were known or suspected irritants and 25% were suspected carcinogens. That study did not take into consideration the additional chemicals that are introduced on a regular basis through the use of cleaning products. These cleaning products contain petrochemicals, solvents and other chemicals, many of which have been linked to cancer, cardiovascular and respiratory disease, and reproductive disorders.
Volatile Organic Solids (VOC's) are organic compounds that vaporize (become a gas) at normal room temperatures. Some products off-gas (or out-gas) quickly while others off-gas over many years. Some have strong odors, such as paint and vinyl, while others have no odor at all. VOC's from off-gassing of building materials, furniture and fabrics, and cleaning products are large contributors to sick building syndrome (SBS - www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/sbs.html).
Some of the organic compounds that become VOC's include the following:
Formaldehyde
Found In: Furniture, Ceilings, Textiles, Paints, Styrene Paints, Printers and Copiers
Pinene
Found in: Wood Furniture and Cabinetry
Phencyclohexene
Found in: Carpet, Wallcovering
Trimethylamine
Found in: Fiberglass Insulation
Methylene chloride
Paint Strippers, Adhesive Removers, Aerosol Paints
Benzene
Found in: Paint Strippers
Perchloroethylene
Found in: Dry Cleaning Solvent
Polyvinyl Chloride
Found in: Flooring, Furniture, Wallcovering
Controlling the source of VOC's (source control) is the most effective way to minimize indoor air pollution and the associated health risks. As market demands increase, manufacturers are beginning to produce "green" products and materials which are available to the buying public. Many of the products are actually "low emitting" while others only claim to be "environmentally friendly". It requires asking questions and being aware of the differences to cut through the "green-wash" of advertising claims.
Office printers and copiers emit VOC's from the toner used to create images. An additional step in the control of indoor air quality is to place all printers, copiers and fax machines in a room separated from office workers with full height walls and separate ventilation.
Biological contaminants are other factors contributing to poor indoor air quality. Bacteria, mold, mildew, pollen and viruses breed in stagnant water, on dirty air filters, on damp surfaces above the ceiling and under cabinets. One such bacterium, Legionella, causes Legionnaire's Disease and Pontiac Fever. To control biological contaminants, repair water leaks, replace air filters regularly, control humidity levels and choose finishes and products that do not support mold and mildew growth.
By improving indoor air quality we are improving the health, safety and welfare of the building occupants. Every choice put before us provides an opportunity to enhance or to degrade our environment. To help you make good environmental choices, here are a few guidelines for choosing interior finishes, interior products and cleaning the products that follow.
Buyer Beware:
- Beware of "VOC-free" product claims – nearly all products emit VOC's
- Beware of terms like: Natural, Alternative, Generic, Green, or Environmental
- Request a Material Safety Data Sheet from the retailer or manufacturer
Buying Guidelines for Interior
Finishes and Products:
- Choose paints and coatings certified by Green Seal, a nonprofit organization promoting the manufacture and sale of environmental responsible consumer products (greenseal.org)
- Choose products that have been tested and approved as low-emitting by Third Party Testing Agencies such as GreenGuard
- Choose carpeting that has been certified by the Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI), a trade organization representing the carpet and rug industry.
- Choose adhesives that are water-based, solvent-free products and meet South Coast Air Quality Management District Rule #1168. The SCAQMD is a governmental organization with the mission to maintain healthy air quality for Southern California residents. Rule #1168 sets VOC limits for adhesives (www.aqmd.gov/rules/html/r1168.html).
- Choose products that do not require hazardous cleaning products for maintenance (e.g. vinyl composition flooring products have to be waxed then stripped then waxed again but many other flooring products require only washing or less frequent finishing)
- Choose cleaning products that do not contain solvents or petrochemicals
- Choose alternative products to those containing polyvinyl chloride (e.g. rubber base instead of vinyl base, rubber or linoleum flooring instead of vinyl composition tile (VCT), wood edge tabletops instead of vinyl, wall covering made without vinyl)
- When using products such as plywood or particleboard, choose brands that have no added urea formaldehyde
Buying Guidelines for Cleaning Products as specified by Green Seal:
- Choose biodegradable and non-toxic products
- Choose products containing sodium citrate, sodium bicarbonate, sodium carabonate or sodium silicate
- Avoid products containing EDTA or NTA
- Choose products with a phosphate concentration of 0.5% by weight or less
- Choose products that are solvent-free (able to work in cold water)
- Avoid products containing chlorine bleach or sodium hypochlorite
- Choose products with a VOC concentration of no more than 10% of the weight of the product when diluted for use as directed
- Avoid ingredients derived from petroleum.
- Choose surfactants (soaps, detergents, degreasers) derived from vegetable oil when possible.
- Avoid surfactants with nonylphenol ethozylate. Look for d-limonene and pine oil solvents.
- Choose products that have a neutral pH
- Choose a dry cleaner that does not use Perchloroethylene
For a list of cleaning products visit the following websites:
For more information on the health risks of many of the chemicals mentioned here visit the following websites:
Additional information on building products can also be found at GreenSpec (www.greenspec.com), which provides detailed listings for morethan 1,500 building products.
Louminda Roberts Torbett is a LEED-certified interior designer with over 25 years experience in commercial and institutional design. A graduateof the University of Tennessee, she is a professional member of the International Interior Design Association and is currently working inMassachusetts.
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