Exposure to toxic pollutants from the materials within the built environment pose varying degrees of risk, but many of these risks are avoidable. We can make informed choices by learning some basics about how pollutants affect our personal, environmental and economic health. Growing scientific evidence shows that indoor air can be more seriously polluted than the air outdoors in even the largest and most industrialized cities. Research indicates that people spend approximately 90% of their time indoors.
In this section, we will explore some of these sources and solutions.
In this section, we will explore some of these sources and solutions.
IMPACT ON PERSONAL HEALTH
Where we live and spend our time can matter to our health. Just as we can encounter smog and unhealthy air outside (i.e. Los Angeles or Shanghai), our indoor air quality can also be poor and full of toxic substances. The materials used to build our homes, offices and shops can release harmful gases and particles into the air. It’s so common a health risk, there is a name for it: Sick Building Syndrome (SBS). SBS describes situations where the impact on the health of the occupants is acute. The causes of SBS and overall poor indoor air quality include gases, particulates and microbes that originate in the materials and systems used to build the structure. This includes the furnishings, carpeting, flooring, walls and even household cleaning products.
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Unfortunately, toxic pollutants are found in public areas too. Many public schools still have lead paint in use, which is quite dangerous as it chips and peels, exposing children who touch it and breathe it. And older playgrounds built prior to 2004 with play equipment built of pressure treated wood may contain arsenic, which is linked to cancers, high blood pressure, endocrine-related illness, diabetes and more. This type of wood has since been banned by the US Environmental Protection Agency.
And don’t forget the many forms of plastic in our kitchens. From take out containers, to water bottles, to cheap plastic food storage options, it’s important to know your plastics!
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) —commonly referred to as vinyl— is the most widely used
chlorinated plastic polymer in the United States, with 14 billion pounds per
year produced in the U.S. alone. The building
industry is responsible for more than 75% of that PVC use.
To make PVC flexible and versatile, the plastics industry can add a soup of chemicals to PVC, many of which raise concerns for human health and the environment. The health care industry has targeted PVC and other chlorinated plastics for elimination due primarily to a family of chemicals of concern uniquely associated with chlorinated plastics: dioxins. |
Dioxins are created during the production/manufacturing process and when chlorinated plastics are burned accidentally or intentionally during disposal.Dioxins are created during the production/manufacturing process and when chlorinated plastics are burned accidentally or intentionally during disposal.
Make sure to look for the plastics with the recycle markings 1, 2, 4 & 5. Avoid purchasing plastics with 3, 6, 7 and higher number recycle ratings. |
IMPACT ON OUR ENVIRONMENT
Because dioxin and other chlorinated
chemicals can migrate around the world, the harmful effects of PVC production
are felt everywhere. Some communities, however, are hit far harder than others.
Of the 14 U.S. plants that make VCM (vinyl chloride monomer, the building block
used to make PVC) all but one are located in Louisiana and Texas.
These plants release huge amounts of toxic chemicals into the environment around them. Discharged pollutants impact nearby drinking water supplies and on-site incinerators spread dioxin and other hazardous compounds into the air. Nearby communities, farms, and fishing areas suffer the consequences. Many vinyl facilities are located in poor communities with little political clout. Government policies sanction and encourage this practice. In the U.S., poor African-American communities are disproportionally impacted. This is a classic case of environmental racism. |
In the most severe cases, entire communities have been literally wiped off the map. In 1987, the town of Reveilletown, Louisiana became so contaminated that all 106 residents were relocated and every structure torn down, even the church. Management of the nearby Dow Chemical factory followed suit soon after, buying out the entire town of Morrisonville, Louisiana.
By cutting PVC use, you are striking a blow for environmental justice, and supporting the life and death struggle being waged today by local residents on the front lines of the grassroots toxics movement.
Because PVC on its own is almost useless, it must be combined with a number of additives in order to give it the properties desired in the final product. These additives include toxic plasticizers (such as phthalates), stabilizers containing dangerous heavy metals (such as lead), fungicides, and other toxic substances. Because these additives are not chemically bound to the PVC, the PVC product itself can be immediately dangerous to the consumer. Additives can wash out, pass into other materials or be lost to air. Examples of potential human exposure are as numerous as the PVC products themselves. The smell of new car interiors is a familiar example of what experts call chemical "fogging" from PVC products. Plasticizers have been shown to be directly transferred from PVC plastic "cling film" to food. Children teethe on vinyl toys which contain toxic additives. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a warning in 1996 when it discovered that PVC miniblinds were giving off lead dust, which can have brain-damaging effects on children.
Increasing scientific evidence suggests that many of these chemicals are disrupting the hormone systems of wildlife, leading to birth defects, infertility, reproductive difficulties and developmental problems in offspring. There is increasing evidence that the same trends are being observed in humans world-wide, including decreased sperm counts, rising rates of certain cancers, deformities of the reproductive organs, mental problems such as attention deficit disorder, and weakened immune systems.
By cutting PVC use, you are striking a blow for environmental justice, and supporting the life and death struggle being waged today by local residents on the front lines of the grassroots toxics movement.
Because PVC on its own is almost useless, it must be combined with a number of additives in order to give it the properties desired in the final product. These additives include toxic plasticizers (such as phthalates), stabilizers containing dangerous heavy metals (such as lead), fungicides, and other toxic substances. Because these additives are not chemically bound to the PVC, the PVC product itself can be immediately dangerous to the consumer. Additives can wash out, pass into other materials or be lost to air. Examples of potential human exposure are as numerous as the PVC products themselves. The smell of new car interiors is a familiar example of what experts call chemical "fogging" from PVC products. Plasticizers have been shown to be directly transferred from PVC plastic "cling film" to food. Children teethe on vinyl toys which contain toxic additives. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a warning in 1996 when it discovered that PVC miniblinds were giving off lead dust, which can have brain-damaging effects on children.
Increasing scientific evidence suggests that many of these chemicals are disrupting the hormone systems of wildlife, leading to birth defects, infertility, reproductive difficulties and developmental problems in offspring. There is increasing evidence that the same trends are being observed in humans world-wide, including decreased sperm counts, rising rates of certain cancers, deformities of the reproductive organs, mental problems such as attention deficit disorder, and weakened immune systems.
IMPACT ON OUR ECONOMY
Isn't green living more expensive? The answer is... no. The construction of green homes usually costs only two or three percent more, and often costs exactly the same as building a non-green home. In place of toxic materials, you can usually find green alternatives for the same price or a lower price.
Green living doesn't require an increased budget. In fact, green living might even save you money. Homeowners can increase the value of their home by eliminating toxic materials. Business owners can help their employees feel healthier and be more productive by providing a nontoxic workplace. You can also benefit financially by taking advantage of federal and state tax credits.
Green living doesn't require an increased budget. In fact, green living might even save you money. Homeowners can increase the value of their home by eliminating toxic materials. Business owners can help their employees feel healthier and be more productive by providing a nontoxic workplace. You can also benefit financially by taking advantage of federal and state tax credits.
IN THE UNITED STATES, BUILDINGS ACCOUNT FOR :
Industrial materials have more value than most people would expect. Next time you are remodeling your house, or a business is remodeling the importance of recycling the materials being pulled out should be taken into consideration. Did you know that when a building is being torn down up to 90% of recyclable materials are not recycled?
Industrial materials are frequently less costly than new (raw) materials! This means that they are actually more cost beneficial for builders, owners, and individuals! The utilization of repurposed or recycled materials that came out of the building itself during a remodel can actually save money for all parties involved! This means that the money that is saved can go into another project, or another part of the building. There are also companies that specialize in the recycling of industrial materials. These companies that specialize in recycled materials help boost the economy as well because they create jobs for individuals! Through the creation of jobs to help ensure proper utilization of recyclable materials, in multiple stages of renovation, demolition, and construction green building materials help create new jobs within the local community, and help keep them there! Resource management on construction, demolition, and remodel sites can have positive impacts on the economy. |
A perfect example of how resource management throughout the process of constructing a new building can be beneficial is the EPA Potomac Yards in Arlington Virginia. The buildings were constructed with 27% recycled materials. During the construction process a management plan was enacted, and 71% of the materials created during construction of the buildings were kept out of landfills, and taken to recycling companies. The buildings are also LEED® certified, so they have lower operating costs than other buildings.
Resource management is important and once implemented can have positive impacts on the environment, creating green building materials, and helping to create economic growth.
ECOPOL PROJECT : SPRING 2014
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