Making Eating & Breathing Safer

Description | Indicators | Scoring Criteria | Definitions | Issues

PROBLEM
Users are exposed through numerous pathways to toxic chemicals in building materials within and around the buildings in which they are installed. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) in the product can vaporize into a gas in the air and be inhaled or may attach to dust that is in turn inhaled or ingested. Heavy metals and other non volatile toxicants from the material can flake off as dust and be inhaled, ingested with food or absorbed into the body on contact. Toxic chemicals can also leach from the material into drinking water.

GOAL
Eliminate content and emissions of substances that may endanger the health of building occupants and neighbors.

IDEAL
There is no content in the product or material, nor measured emission from the product, of a hazardous chemical including known or suspected carcinogens, mutagens, reproductive toxicants, teratogens, endocrine disruptors, neurotoxicants or acute or chronic toxicants. Optimal materials and products also will not contain chemicals that can breakdown or react with other compounds in the product or in its environment to result in the generation of hazardous chemicals. They also will be designed for installation and use without the use of supplemental products (such as adhesives and finishes) that are hazardous chemicals or that breakdown or react to result in the generation of hazardous chemicals.

NOTES
Several certification programs measure and certify emissions levels of products but generally only cover the VOC content or emissions and do not address heavy metals and other hazardous substances.

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