Avoiding Toxic Chemicals
There are tens of thousands of unregulated chemicals used in our building products, so how do you know which ones are hazardous?
These articles look at some of the most-toxic chemicals, why they are hazardous, which product groups contain them, and alternatives to using them.
You’ll learn about:
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the burgeoning green chemistry movement
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tools like Health Product Declarations that tell us what’s in products
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formaldehyde
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polyvinyl chloride
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bisphenol-A
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flame retardants
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perfluorinated compounds (PFCs)
We also offer guidance on design decisions that can reduce or eliminate the need for many of these problematic compounds.
Avoiding Toxic Chemicals
Deep Dives
Get up to speed on complex topics. You can also earn CEUs and download PDF Spotlight Reports.
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Polystyrene Insulation: Does It Belong in a Green Building?
Feature Article
Polystyrene is widely used as a rigid insulation in North America, offering high insulation values, moisture resistance, strength, and affordability. But a flame retardant in the material, as well as its life-cycle impacts, raise questions about whether it should be used at all.
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The Living Building Challenge: Can It Really Change the World?
Feature Article
The Living Building Challenge, with its stringent, all-or-nothing requirements, is out to change the way we build. But is it actually achievable?
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Making Air Barriers that Work: Why and How to Tighten Up Buildings
Feature Article
Incorporating a continuous air barrier into a building's design and construction can save energy and improve the indoor environment, among other benefits. The right materials and assemblies can help accomplish that goal, but careful attention during design and close oversight during construction are essential.
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Antimicrobial Chemicals in Buildings: Hygiene or Harm?
Feature Article
Carpets, door handles, and a myriad of other building products now contain pesticides targeting fungi and bacteria, offering potential benefit to the indoor environment, but also raising health concerns. This article asks whether antimicrobial products live up to their marketing claims and whether relying on them is a sound path to a hygienic environment.
Quick Takes
Jump straight to the essentials with these short explanations of green building concepts.
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Radon Risks and Prevention
Primer
Radon, the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S., can get into our homes and bodies without us knowing it-and its presence doesn't depend on geology or locale.
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PBT Chemicals-Persistent, Bioaccumulative, Toxic
Primer
You've heard of persistent toxic chemicals, and bioaccumulation, but what do these things really mean, and what do they do?
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Chromium-6: Health and Life-Cycle Hazards
Primer
Chrome-plated and stainless-steel products may not expose us directly to the hazards of hexavalent chromium, but their life cycle releases it into the environment.
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The Precautionary Principle
Primer
The precautionary principle employs "guilty until proven innocent" methodology, and suggests that we should avoid using questionable chemicals and materials until we know they're safe.
Product Guidance
Unbiased information from our product experts helps you separate green from greenwash.
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Win the Turf Wars with Rubber-Free Artificial Fields
Product Review
You don’t have to choose between recycled tires and natural grass for athletic surfaces. There’s a spectrum of good options in between.
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Bamboo Flooring: Still Green, for a Price
Product Review
Bamboo flooring, the rapidly renewable darling of the green building movement, is still sustainable if you are willing to pay for quality.
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Three Lounge Seating Manufacturers Keeping Pace with High BIFMA Standards
Product Review
Three lounge seating manufacturers have been certified to BIFMA e3 level 3, but tracking chemicals of concern in these products is still a challenge.
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ECOS Challenges Paint Industry to Disclose Ingredients
Product Review
ECOS Paints ignored “trade secret” complaints made by other manufacturers and now makes the first paints designated Red List Free for the Living Building Challenge.
In The News
We break news down to the essentials and provide expert analysis.
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Bark Cladding Is First Cradle to Cradle Platinum Product
News Brief
C2C Platinum certification sets a very high bar for sustainability. A decade in, Bark House shingles are the first product to make the grade.
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Leadership Transition as Healthy Building Network Grows
News Brief
HBN founder Bill Walsh will shift to heading strategic development as president of the nonprofit, while affordable housing leader Gina Ciganik becomes CEO.
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Study Vets Materials for Entire Wall Assemblies
News Brief
When you look at the whole assembly, it can change how you see the materials. Here XPS and fiberglass come out ahead, and SPF behind.
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New Owner of TimberSIL Hopes to Put Failures in the Past
News Analysis
Everyone loved the treated-wood alternative until its high-profile failures. For the next maker of TimberSIL, quality control is job one.
Perspective
Thought-provoking opinions from the most trusted minds in sustainability.
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Learning Resources
A wide range of education options, with automatic reporting for AIA and GBCI.
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