K+BB - November 2008 - (Page 44)

Airing Out It’s a green jungle out there when it comes to IAQ Not everything green is healthy. Green typically connotes energy efﬁciency, recycled content or having a low impact on the environment. Yet surveys show that people interested in buying “green homes” cite health as the key motivator. One of the primary ways their health can be affected is by breathing the air. Chemicals referred to as VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) are emitted into the air from products used to build or furnish a home. There are only a few green labels that focus on health and indoor air quality, such as Greenguard, Green Label Plus by the Carpet & Rug Institute and Indoor Advantage and Floor Score, both by Scientiﬁc Certiﬁcation Systems. They offer an accessible way to identify products that might impact a home’s indoor air quality and can be helpful to homeowners certiﬁcation is based in part on the assumed ventilation rate, the amount of material installed and the size of the building. The translation to homes may not be entirely ﬁtting. With homes becoming more airtight, the need for adequate ventilation is critical, but not always heeded. PAINT & CABINETS An example of a product that could have toxic ingredients but passes the California Section 01350 test is paint. In fact, one such product has met the California standard and has been shown to do well with environmentally sensitive consumers, yet contains acetone, styrene and methyl ethyl ketone, all of which are very toxic ingredients. When the air quality in their homes was tested, the results were good and none of the chemicals It’s important to notice, however, what the labels do not say—that the product does not off-gas chemicals at all. who are chemically sensitive. However, as their implications are far from clear-cut, designers can benefit from conducting a little research of their own. were detected. Green labels like Green Seal, however, would not certify this paint brand based on these ingredients, despite test results, while others such as those listed above would certify the product based solely on air quality, which is their focus. To note, the Environmental Protection Agency’s deﬁnition of low-VOC paint as 250 grams per liter is based on a standard to reduce smog and not one to protect health. There has been much discussion on the presence of formaldehyde in kitchen cabinets, many of which still contain the carcinogenic chemical typically found in the glue. Some brands claim performance to the ANSI A208 standard for low formaldehyde, which allows up to 0.3-ppm (partsper-million) formaldehyde. The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), however, has an exposure limit of 0.016 ppm, which is 20 times lower. Clearly, a “low formaldehyde” standard is insufﬁcient, especially when a home is built airtight. Unfortunately, programs like Greenguard or Indoor Advantage do not certify kitchen cabinets because at present there are no residential testing standards. They are, however, being developed. In the meantime, look for plywood made with no formaldehyde. WHAT’S IN A LABEL Although they differ in how exposure levels are calculated, all of the labels meet a testing standard outlined in the State of California’s Special Environmental Requirements, Section 01350, which was developed as a result of a request for bidding on an ofﬁce furniture contract. In general, certiﬁcation is awarded to products that have demonstrated that they do not off-gas chemicals in concentrations that would signiﬁcantly affect one’s health. It’s important to notice, however, what the labels do not say—that the product does not off-gas chemicals at all. In fact, although certiﬁcation is based, in part, on meeting California’s criteria that chemicals with Chronic Reference Exposure Levels (CRELs) are not present in concentration levels that would pose a health risk for an indeﬁnite period of exposure, these levels have not been identiﬁed for many chemicals. To compensate, Greenguard has looked to the guidelines set by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists, and all of the green labels mentioned above have adopted the LEED threshold value for total VOCs. In addition, all of the abovementioned programs factor in an assumption that mechanical ventilation will be present (as it would be in a commercial or school building) where the product will be used. Therefore, DOING RESEARCH BEYOND GREEN LABELS Product certiﬁcation by the green labeling programs can cost companies hundreds of thousands of dollars. Because of the expense involved, many manufacturers test their product per Section 01350 but do not pursue a green label. For a list of products that pass Section 01350 testing, visit www.chps.net/manual/lem_table.htm. However, 44 + K BB November July 2004 2008 / www.kbbonline.com / The Ofﬁcial Sponsor of K/BIS www.kbis.com http://www.chps.net/manual/lem_table.htm http://www.kbis.com http://www.kbbonline.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of K+BB - November 2008

K+BB - November 2008
Contents
Online Contents
Online News
Feedback
Products
Trends
Special Green Section
Editorial/Green Intro
California Greenin'
Buying Green
Serious About Green
Natural Selection
Q&A
Control Issues
Green on a Budget
Airing Out
Earthly Wonder
Under the Influence
Cover Story: Under the Influence: An Asian-Inspired Kitchen with Green Appeal
Green Products
Ad Index
Editorial Index
Favorites

K+BB - November 2008