Is Your Home Toxic?

Ever noticed a ‘sweet’ smell when you open your empty kitchen or bathroom cupboard? That’s formaldehyde you’re smelling. What’s that? Read on to find out how this sweet smell is poison to your family.

Many building products, particularly wood products, may contain a toxic, cancer producing chemical called formaldehyde. Formaldehyde is a colourless, flammable gas that has a very distinct smell. It is commonly used in the manufacturing of resins during the production of pressed wood products. Exposure to formaldehyde may occur through either inhalation or skin contact, but most commonly through inhalation.

Formaldehyde affects people differently, as some are more sensitive to it than others, but the most common health implications include eye, nose, throat and skin irritation, as well as asthma and allergies. In severe cases, resulting from prolonged exposure to high levels of formaldehyde a person may experience decreased body weight, gastrointestinal ulcers, liver and kidney damage and dermatitis. Prolonged exposure to high levels of formaldehyde have been shown in Europe to increase an individual’s chance of developing cancer.

Formaldehyde may be present within a range of composite and liquid products including:

 

Manufacturing materials	Building materials	Timber materials
plastics foam insulation fungicides mirrors insecticides resins	sheet vinyl flooring doors decking panelling particleboard fibreboard carpets carpet backings some insulation products paints	plywood laminated timber wall lining coverings and wall paper

Whilst low levels of formaldehyde may not result in any health impacts for some individuals, others may find that they are highly sensitive to the chemical. For those wishing to minimise the presence of formaldehyde in the building products used within the family home it is recommended that they:

• choose products from the wide range of verified and certified products on the Ecospecifier website (ecospecifier.com.au) that have all passed a detailed human and eco-toxicity analysis.
• choose products that contain phenolic-based formaldehyde resins, compared to urea formaldehyde resins, as they emit much less formaldehyde, typically rated at E0 (on a E00, E0, E1, E2 scale where E2 is the highest and should, along with unrated composite wood products, be avoided at all costs). These include plywood, panelling, particleboard and fibreboard.
• choosing higher quality exterior-grade pressed-wood building products even for internal use, as they are likely to be E0 rated (very low emission);
• ensure that rooms have efficient ventilation and low humidity levels, can be achieved through the use of air conditioning and dehumidifiers, particularly after installing a new carpet;
• minimise using products that contain formaldehyde and if possible eliminate any presence of formaldehyde.

Explore more about the product ranges that have been eco-certified and listed by Ecospecifier, by using the Product Search Engine on Ecospecifier Global: http://www.ecospecifier.com.au

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The Sick Building Syndrome

Are you breathing toxic air?

A “sick” building is a structure, or room, that has become contaminated with harmful elements or chemicals.

’Sick building syndrome’ (SBS) is a concept that refers to a variety of illnesses that occupants may develop due to exposure to in- building pollution.

Indoor pollution can cause serious health risks although can generally easily be avoided.

A building’s health may be decreased over either a short or prolonged period of time from a variety of causes including:

– External pollution

– Mould and mildew or,

– Product emissions.

Poorly selected finishes in products like fittings and furniture can release gaseous toxins over a period of time, resulting in a prolonged period where a building can be classified as “sick”.

Additionally, certain activities may result in the release of toxins that decrease the health of a building, such as cleaning with products are made with compounds containing volatile toxins.

Health impacts from exposure to a sick building may depend upon a person’s age and health or sensitivity to certain compounds, as well as the level of exposure to a potentially hazardous environment.

The commonly accepted short-term health issues associated to ‘sick building syndrome’ include:

• Skin, eye and throat irritation
• Headaches
• Drowsiness
• Allergic reactions and asthma

Common long-term health impacts related to the sick building syndrome concept include:

• Cancer
• Respiratory disease
• Heart disease

SICK BUILDING CHECKLIST

A wide variety of factors can reduce the health of a building, below are just a few examples to consider as causes:

• Biological contaminants such as bacteria, moulds, mildew and house dust mites can cause a range of health effects including hypersensitivity pneumonitis, allergic rhinitis and asthma
• Stoves, heaters, fireplaces and chimneys can all release carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide, along with a range of other particles, which may impact your health by interfering with the delivery of oxygen throughout the body, irritating the mucous membranes in the eye, nose and throat or cause lung and tissue damage.
• Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can be released from everyday household products, including carpets and paint, and have the potential to cause a range of health effects including irritation to the eyes, nose and throat, immune deficiency, asthma, headaches, liver and kidney damage and potentially cause cancer
• Benzene may be present in household products including glues, adhesives, cleaning products and art supplies and may result in a range of health impacts ranging from skin and eye irritation to leukaemia
• Formaldehyde a toxic chemical present in building materials, clothing and even cosmetics! The health effects of formaldehyde exposure range from nasal and eye irritation to liver and kidney damage
• Bisphenol A (BPA) is found in plastic products and can act as an endocrine disrupter posing significant health risks especially to the development of young children and babies.

HEALTHY BUILDING ACTION CHECKLIST

Whilst the potential health risks from building products and home fixtures can depend on a wide variety of personal and external factors, there are various steps that can be taken in order to improve the health of a building and reduce any associated health risks:

• Choose products from a reliable source like the Ecospecifier website (ecospecifier.com.au) which only lists third party certified and verified products that have passed health and eco-toxicity assessments
• Install weather stripping and caulking to seal the home – this can help to reduce the amount of pollution entering your home and reducing indoor air quality.
• Prevent and manage issues related to the dampness of a building to avoid the presence of mould in order to decrease the risk of being exposed to hazardous microbes;
• Eliminate smoking indoors.
• Ensure adequate indoor ventilation.
• Avoid products that contain formaldehyde or benzene.
• Look for Low-VOC paints
• Buy solid wood, hardboard or exterior grade plywood instead of pressed wood products;
• Regulate room temperature and humidity to decrease the amount of VOCs emitted;
• Choose plastic products that are BPA free.
• Use only third party certified health-safe cleaning products.

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Explore more about the product ranges that have been certified and listed by Ecospecifier, by using the Product Search Engine on Ecospecifier Global: http://www.ecospecifier.com.au

Join us in more conversations about green products and sustainability issues on our social media pages:

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A Common Toxic Chemical That May Be Harming You

Formaldehyde is a colourless, flammable, strong, sweet-smelling chemical that is used in a range of products, from building materials to clothing and cosmetics, it can even be found in paper and new clothes.  The formaldehyde vapours are flammable, explosive and toxic. Formaldehyde is commonly used in adhesives during the manufacturing of resins for composite wood products. Exposure to small amounts of naturally produced formaldehyde is common and is present naturally in timber,  in the air, some foods and products, but at extremely low levels. The most common way of exposure to formaldehyde is through inhalation or skin contact from building materials. The health effects from formaldehyde exposure vary depending upon the level of exposure as well as the person who is in contact with the substance, as some people are more sensitive to the effects of formaldehyde than others. Low levels of exposure resulting from breathing 0.1-0.5ppm of formaldehyde vapour can result in:

• nasal and eye irritation
• neurological effects
• increased risk of asthma
• increased risk of allergy

Moderate levels of exposure can result from breathing 0.6-1.9ppm of formaldehyde vapour and may cause the above health implications as well as:

• eczema
• changes in lung function

High levels of exposure to formaldehyde vapour may result in all of the above health implications in addition to:

• decreased body weight
• gastrointestinal ulcers
• liver damage
• kidney damage
• dermatitis

To help minimise the health risks of formaldehyde exposure there is a widespread formaldehyde emissions rating system. E00 is the lowest rating score and is described as ‘ultra low’, indicating that this level of emissions is the equivalent to, or below that of, natural wood levels. E0 is the following emissions level and is described as ‘very low’, this is followed by E1, a ‘low rating’ but emissions at this level are to be avoided if possible. E2 is the highest level and also applies to unrated products and indicates that emissions at this level should be avoided at all costs. While there is limited research available, there is some indication that prolonged exposure to high levels of formaldehyde can increase an individual’s risk of cancer. For those who wish to minimise any risk of formaldehyde exposure it is recommended that they:

• source E00 (also known as Super E0) or E0 products from a verification or certification organisation, such as Ecospecifier (www.ecospecifier.com.au), which provides access to products that have been tested and rated for their levels of toxicity;
• when purchasing a produce make sure you enquire about the level of formaldehyde  present and that it is rated at E1 or below;
• if possible avoid purchasing composite wood products without formaldehyde rating or any non building product that uses formaldehyde dressing or preservative;
• ensure that there is adequate ventilation inside the family home to help reduce the presence of formaldehyde vapour that might be present in new joinery or carpentry.

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Explore more about the product ranges that have been certified and listed by Ecospecifier, by using the Product Search Engine on Ecospecifier Global: www.ecospecifier.com.au

Join us in more conversations about green products and sustainability issues on our social media pages:

Follow Ecospecifier on Facebook
Follow Ecospecifier on Twitter

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Join our Social Media Honour Roll – support the switch to green products

Like, Comment and Share our blogs and posts on your social media pages … and we will send your name out to more than 20,000 subscribers via our monthly Ecospecifier Global Newsletter.

See which stellar individuals, businesses and networks made the latest Honour Roll on Twitter and Facebook HERE We salute you in helping us educate and help more people #MaketheSwitch to #EcoResponsible products.

Drop us a line at the office, we look forward to hearing from you …

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