Material Health
Pursuing material health in the building industry involves avoiding or eliminating toxic chemicals from building products. Toxic chemicals are those that can bring harm to factory workers, installers, or building occupants. There are tens of thousands of unregulated chemicals used in our building products, and they can increase the risk of everything from asthma to obesity to cancer.
Materials containing these toxic chemicals include carpet, insulation, wet-applied products like adhesives and sealants, and many others. It’s possible to improve material health through better design decisions and product selections.
Material Health
Deep Dives
Get up to speed on complex topics. You can also earn CEUs and download PDF Spotlight Reports.
-
Chemistry for Designers: Understanding Hazards in Building Products
Feature Article
What's in our building materials? Are there chemicals we should be afraid of? Trying to get answers to these questions can be frustrating, but there are a number of good tools available.
-
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.
-
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?
-
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.
Quick Takes
Jump straight to the essentials with these short explanations of green building concepts.
-
PBT Chemicals: Persistent, Bioaccumulative, Toxic
Explainer
You've heard of persistent toxic chemicals, and bioaccumulation, but what do these things really mean, and what do they do?
-
Chromium-6: Health and Life-Cycle Hazards
Explainer
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.
-
The Precautionary Principle
Explainer
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.
-
Synthetic Gypsum
Explainer
Synthetic gypsum, used in drywall, is chemically the same as virgin gypsum but is created from a byproduct of coal-fired power plants. Are designer and contractor concerns about heavy metal contamination justified?
Product Guidance
Unbiased information from our product experts helps you separate green from greenwash.
-
Board Insulation
Product Guide
These insulation products and thermal breaks provide superior thermal performance and avoid common chemical hazards.
-
Tile
Product Guide
Porcelain tiles that meet third-party environmental standards, and BPA-free adhesives
-
Wallboard
Product Guide
Wallboard with high recycled content and Greenguard Gold certification
-
Resilient Flooring
Product Guide
PVC-free and recycled-tire-free flooring, including linoleum and composites with low or no indoor emissions
In The News
We break news down to the essentials and provide expert analysis.
-
Asbestos Rule Is Tip of Chemical Regulation Iceberg
News Analysis
The updated Toxic Substances Control Act could be crippled by updated EPA review methods.
-
California Law Bans Future Flame Retardants
News Brief
AB 2998, by prohibiting whole classes of flame retardant chemicals, aims to reduce regrettable substitutions.
-
AIA Writes ‘Prescription’ for Healthier Materials
News Brief
A new publication published by AIA provides guidance on how to put healthier material selection into practice.
-
Plastic Production Releases Mercury, Asbestos, PFAS
News Brief
Producing chlorine for PVC and other plastics has toxic impacts.
Perspective
Thought-provoking opinions from the most trusted minds in sustainability.
- Check if your spelling is correct, or try removing filters.
- Remove quotes around phrases to match each word individually: "blue drop" will match less than blue drop.
- You can require or exclude terms using + and -: big +blue drop will require a match on blue while big blue -drop will exclude results that contain drop.
Learning Resources
Syllabus supplements and CEU content, with automatic reporting for AIA and GBCI.
- Check if your spelling is correct, or try removing filters.
- Remove quotes around phrases to match each word individually: "blue drop" will match less than blue drop.
- You can require or exclude terms using + and -: big +blue drop will require a match on blue while big blue -drop will exclude results that contain drop.
Just For Fun
Something weird happens every April at BuildingGreen...
- Check if your spelling is correct, or try removing filters.
- Remove quotes around phrases to match each word individually: "blue drop" will match less than blue drop.
- You can require or exclude terms using + and -: big +blue drop will require a match on blue while big blue -drop will exclude results that contain drop.
