News Analysis

“Product Lens” Focuses on Whether Chemicals Can Harm Us

UL’s new take on ingredient transparency uses the Cradle to Cradle screening method while adding notes on exposure risks.

When researching product ingredients, it’s common to end with more questions than answers. Is saturated fat good for you if it comes from a coconut? Why does my shampoo bottle say “fragrance-free” on the front and then list a fragrance on the back?

With the release of its new Product Lens report, UL Environment aims to help answer questions like these about the ingredients in building materials. Questions like: Can the silica in drywall give me cancer? Should painters wear equipment to protect them from the titanium dioxide in primer? Why are basic nutrients like zinc considered dangerous?

Published August 4, 2016

Melton, P. (2016, August 4). “Product Lens” Focuses on Whether Chemicals Can Harm Us . Retrieved from https://www.buildinggreen.com/news-analysis/product-lens-focuses-whether-chemicals-can-harm-us