Invisible Toxins

michellev@rescuegreen.com — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 06:42:00 GMT

The amount of toxins present in the home and other buildings where we work and play is astonishing. From formaldehyde, lead, radon, carbon dioxide to solvents and disinfectants the list of pollutants seems endless. Even more unnerving is that scientists still don’t know how chronic exposure to this chemical soup will affect the human body. Exposing someone to a potentially carcinogenic chemical to see the effects isn’t exactly ethical. However, the effects from exposure to an array of chemicals can’t be good.

We are exposed to thousands of chemicals everyday; roughly 18,000 are produced each year. According to the EPA, the indoor air quality (IAQ) in your home can often be highly concentrated with pollutants and chemicals, up to 100 times more so than outside air. What should you do, make sure your windows and doors are shut so the dirty pollutants don’t enter your home? This tactic wouldn’t be of much help. Most of the chemicals in your home, are released by the materials and products used in manufacturing and building the very beds you sleep on, the table you eat at, and the walls you live within.

For example, many pressed-wood products release formaldehyde, which irritates the lungs and poses a threat to those with asthma, allergies, and pulmonary difficulties. Many doctors are now discovering that childhood asthma, ADD, ADHD, and other learning difficulties are attributable to exposure to toxins. This is just one example of how exposure to chemical substances can be detrimental to our overall well being. Thus, it is important that a building maintain a good IEQ (indoor environmental quality) which refers to the quality of air and environment inside buildings. By ensuring this not only can we protect our family, but business owners, managers, occupants, architects, and builders can minimize or eliminate the negative health effects, low employee productivity, liability, bad publicity, and costly renovations and repairs often associated with IEQ problems. Good IEQ in existing buildings, as well as incorporating green materials in the design, construction, and operation of new buildings, we are taking the necessary precautions to protect our health and help business owners avoid costly problems in the long run.

There are many ways that you can ensure your building uses green alternatives in flooring, carpeting, or wall covering, etc. to decrease toxicity:

1. Flooring – using cork, linoleum, or bamboo with non-toxic adhesives (VOCs)

2. Carpeting – hemp, jut, and wood are good alternatives. Wool will help to purify the air and neutralize odors, mites and bacteria.

3. Wall covering – most wallpaper release polyvinyl chloride releasing carcinogens like dioxin. Therefore, it is important to buy wallpaper that use water-based inks and require no special adhesives or solvents to apply.

Given that we spend nearly 90% of our time indoors we need to invest in green building to protect our health. By the year 2010, 38 million new buildings are projected to be constructed, by incorporating green materials we can create a space where society can live, work, and play without the threat of toxic chemicals.

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Environmental Health

Invisible Toxins