2 Overarching Considerations Flashcards
(35 cards)
Term which encompasses issues of health and impact on environment in general
Green
Considerations for choosing a material (foundations a material should meet for selection before considering the “green” factor)
Performance, durability, price and aesthetic
Term refers to social impacts (labor practices and fair trade) in relation to environmental impacts
Sustainable
Terms refers to attributes that do not hurt environment
Eco-friendly
Increased requirements for amount of outdoor air that must be supplied to a building accg to the number of building occupants
ASHRAE
Sources of indoor air pollution
Adhesives, carpeting, upholstery, manufactured wood products, cleanings agents which all emit VOCs
Organization which created the list of materials with the “worst in class” chemicals; works within building industry to move them away from these
Healthy Building Network
Top of the worst in class chemicals lists; do not break down readily from natural processes, accumulate in fatty tissues, becoming more concentrated as they move up the food chain (bioaccumulative); highly toxic in small quantities, creates a toxic legacy for decades to come
Persistent Bioaccumulative Toxics (PBT)
Building materials which release PBTs
Most common would be mercury thermometers, PVC, lead solders, roofing materials, certain paints and finishes
Used as plasticizers to soften PVC plastic or simply, vinyl; found in vinyl flooring, wall covering and upholstery
Phthalates
Chemicals associated with PVC that make it the worst plastic to use in buildings from an environmental standpoint
Phthalates and human carcinogens: vinyl chloride and dioxin
Tips from dailygreen.com in identifying phthalates in labels
DBP (di-n-butyl phthalate) DEP (di-2-ethyl phthalate) DEHP (di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate) or Bis (2-ethylhexylphthalate) BzBP (benzylbutyl phthalate) DMP (dimethyl phthalate) Word "fragrance" contain compounds with phthalates Recycling codes 3 & 7 contain phthalates
Often found in personal care products: nail polishes, deodorants, perfumes, cologne, aftershave lotions, shampoos, hair gels, hand lotions
Di-n-butyl phthalate DBP
Diethyl phthalate DEP
Benzylbutyl phthalate BzBP
Toxic chemical used in flooring, car products and personal care products
Benzylbutyl phthalate BzBP
Used in insect repellent and some plastics
Dimethyl phthalate DMP
Used in PVC plastics including medical devices
Di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate DEHP
2-ethylhexyl phthalate Bis
Recommended recycling codes to choose from
Codes 1, 2 or 5
Heavy metals which release toxics into environment during extraction, production, use and disposal
Lead, mercury and chromium
Heavy metal used in flashing, copper and other roof products, solder, batteries and in some PVC products such as wire insulation jacketing and exterior siding
Lead
Heavy metal found in thermostats, thermometers, switches and fluorescent lamps
Mercury
Heavy metal found in chrome or stainless steel components of furniture
Chromium
Other heavy metals incorporated into paint, dyes, pigments, fabrics and some PVC products like resilient flooring
Cadmium, cobalt, antimony trioxide among a few
Flame retardants which include chemicals which may cause permanent changes to brain and reproductive systems (reduced fertility)
Halogenated flame retardants (HFRs) including those which are polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) and other brominated flame retardants (BFRs)
Applications of HFRs
Furniture, mattresses, draperies, foam, textile applications, electronics, plastics, polyurethane foams
