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.
-
Polystyrene Insulation: Does It Belong in a Green Building?
Feature
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.
-
Chemistry for Designers: Understanding Hazards in Building Products
Feature
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.
-
Reducing Environmental Impacts of Cement and Concrete
Feature
This article explores the environmental footprint of portland cement production and future emissions regulations and looks at the issues surrounding its most common replacement, fly ash.
-
What's New in Multi-Attribute Environmental Certifications
Feature
The industry is increasingly recognizing the need for a more comprehensive review of green products. We don't have perfect programs yet, but we scrutinize the most prominent programs out there and highlight how they're useful.
Quick Takes
Jump straight to the essentials with these short explanations of green building concepts.
-
Putting a “LID” on Harmful Stormwater Runoff
Explainer
Low-impact development (LID) minimizes pavement and maximizes rainwater infiltration, filtering out pollution and preventing erosion.
-
Scorecard Shows Some Plastics Are “Cleaner” Than Others
Explainer
Plastics are made from petrochemicals whose environmental profiles are complicated at best. But some stand out as, if not cleaner, at least less dirty.
-
How Environmental Site Assessments Work
Explainer
Existing buildings and previously developed sites are great, but they often need environmental cleanup. An ESA is the first step.
-
The Problem with Red Lists
Explainer
Having a short list of toxic chemicals to avoid is convenient, but nasty “alternatives” can sneak in the back door. Hazard screenings help solve this problem.
Product Guidance
Unbiased information from our product experts helps you separate green from greenwash.
-
Broadloom Carpet
Product Guide
These broadloom carpets are made with natural wool or are certified NSF 140 Platinum or Cradle to Cradle v3.1 Silver or Gold. Many are free of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
-
Modular Carpet
Product Guide
These carpet tiles are made with natural wool or are certified NSF 140 Platinum or Cradle to Cradle v3.1 Silver or Gold. They are free of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
-
Composite Wood
Product Guide
Medium-density fiberboard and particleboard are non-structural panels manufactured from sawmill waste that is typically held together with phenol formaldehyde (PF), melamine formaldehyde (MF), or urea formaldehyde (UF), resins. Formaldehyde-free methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) resins are also used.
-
Acoustic Wall & Ceiling Panels
Product Guide
Acoustic panels with high NRC ratings and low toxicity
In The News
We break news down to the essentials and provide expert analysis.
-
Nonmetallic Pressure-Treated Wood Products from Viance
News Analysis
-
Fears Grow with Polycarbonate Chemical Bisphenol-A
News Analysis
Bisphenol-A, a chemical used to make polycarbonate plastic for numerous building materials as well as consumer items, is under growing scrutiny in the U.S. and Canada.
-
FEMA Working to Limit Formaldehyde
News Analysis
As FEMA looks to limit formaldehyde emissions in its emergency housing units, trade associations for the recreational vehicle and trailer industry are following FEMA's lead.
-
Nanotech Textile Finish Gets (Mixed) Environmental Ratings
News Analysis
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.
