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.
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How to Get from VOC Certifications to Better Products
Feature Short
The FDA regulates flies in our soup, but no one regulates VOCs in our indoor air. Somehow that’s a designer’s job to figure out.
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Why “Zero VOC” Was Never Enough
Feature Short
We used to look for coatings, adhesives, and sealants that contained no VOCs. Great for smog prevention, but IAQ and installer health are also important.
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In Search of High-Quality Hazard Data: HPDs Have Promise, but Most Aren’t Helpful Yet
Feature Short
HPD version 1.0’s promise of greater material transparency didn’t always deliver, but version 2.0 should provide accurate reporting.
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Dances with Hazards: How Real Experts Pull Human Health into Design
Feature Short
John and Catherine prove that designers can work successfully with HPDs, especially if they have a toxicology consultant to support their multi-faceted selection process.
Quick Takes
Jump straight to the essentials with these short explanations of green building concepts.
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Product Guidance
Unbiased information from our product experts helps you separate green from greenwash.
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Knoll, Steelcase in Lead with Level 3 Certified Products
Product Review
Two years after the "level" furniture certification program was developed by BIFMA, six products and products lines meet the most rigorous of the certifications-level 3.
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EonCoat: Durable Corrosion Resistance with No VOCs or Primer
Product Review
Fifteen years of corrosion resistance without VOCs or HAPs? A revolutionary coating could change everything.
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Air Renew Wallboard Absorbs Formaldehyde from Indoor Air
Product Review
Using a common building product to clean indoor air? AirRenew drywall claims to improve indoor air quality by absorbing formaldehyde and trapping it chemically in the gypsum core.
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Sansin and Vermont Natural Coatings Debut Low-VOC Stains
Product Review
Two new low-VOC interior stain systems were recently released: Vermont Natural Coatings' zero-VOC Woodtone Series Concentrated Tints and Sansin's Purity Interior 0-VOC Stain. Both systems offer a competitive option over higher VOC choices.
In The News
We break news down to the essentials and provide expert analysis.
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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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Rubber Flooring: A Good Use for Old Car Tires?
News Analysis
Rubber flooring is getting greener overall, but tire-derived products are still an iffy proposition.
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New Tool Compares VOC Content of Coatings for Product Selection
News Analysis
Healthy Building Network’s CompAIR calculator allows you to compare the total VOCs of wet-applied coatings based on coverage and other factors.
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USGBC, Chemical Industry Reach Historic Compromise on Product Optimization
News Analysis
Option 3 of the LEED v4 Material Ingredients credit rewards manufacturers for chemical management up the supply chain.
Perspective
Thought-provoking opinions from the most trusted minds in sustainability.
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Learning Resources
Syllabus supplements and CEU content, with automatic reporting for AIA and GBCI.
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Just For Fun
Something weird happens every April at BuildingGreen...
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