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Green Buildings and Indoor Contaminants / Asthma
EPA Goal 1: Taking Action on Climate Change and Improving Air Quality
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...to include Green, High Performance Buildings and Materials
Introduction
Because of increasing concerns over climate change and human health, the green building movement is growing and making a significant impact on the design and operation of schools, homes, hospitals, laboratories, and commercial and public buildings. The “how to” techniques are well understood; however, the effects of the materials and products that go into the construction and operation of buildings are not.
Information and decision-support tools are needed to ensure the continued improvement of materials and products for new and existing buildings. The National Risk Management Research Laboratory (NRMRL) conducts research on emissions and evaluates risk-reduction options. The emphasis is on providing the necessary science for assessing green building materials and products, and on the impact of building efficiency measures.
Most existing approaches to testing and labeling products are not focused on indoor air quality and are based on manufacturers’ claims and limited validated test methods. NRMRL’s efforts will focus on developing and improving the science of product testing and ensuring commercial viability, as well as technical accuracy. Test guidance documents and methods will be developed in a collaborative process that includes academia and organizations such as the National Institute of Standards and Technology, trade associations, and private-sector laboratories.
Environmental Issue or Problem
Buildings account for a significant portion of the earth’s land use, energy and water consumption, and air and atmosphere changes. Green building practices aim to reduce the environmental impact of buildings by concentrating on increasing the efficient use of resources (energy, water, and materials) and reducing building impacts on human health and the environment during the building's lifecycle. This is accomplished through better siting, design, construction, operation, maintenance, and removal.
Furthermore, the quality of the air inside buildings is an important consideration. On average, people in industrialized nations spend about 90 percent of their time indoors and most of that time is spent in their homes. Houses can contain substances that are potentially hazardous to our health, from dust to major chemical contaminants. Indoor air can be ten times worse than outdoor air on smoggy days in big cities. According to EPA, the medical and lost-productivity costs of workers breathing poor air amounts to tens of billions of dollars each year in the United States.
Source: http://www.greenbuilding.com/knowledge-base/indoor-air-quality
Long-Term Goal and Annual Performance Goals Addressed
Clean Air Multi-Year Plan (MYP) 2008 - 2012 (PDF) (52 pp, 293 KB, About PDF)
Contact
Carlos Nunez
Assistant Laboratory Director, Air | Human Health