Tarkett. Something in the Air: What You Can t See Can Hurt You

Transcription

1 Tarkett Something in the Air: What You Can t See Can Hurt You

2 What is Indoor Air Quality? Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) is the air quality within and around buildings and structures, especially as it relates to the health and comfort of building occupants. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), indoor air quality is one of the EPA s top environmental risks to public health.

3 Buildings Impact on the Environment 17% of fresh water consumption 25% of timber use 33% of CO2 emissions 30-40% of energy use 40-50% of raw material consumption

4 Sustainable Building Today Today, energy conservation and cost-savings are driving buildings and homes to be constructed with tighter building envelopes.

5 People-Friendly Spaces Tightly sealed homes and buildings lay the foundation for inhospitable and potentially dangerous environments - as homes and buildings breathe less, emissions are sealed in. Source: Web MD / EPA 5

6 People-Friendly Spaces Emissions come from a wide variety of items within a space Sources: World Health Organization, EPA, FH Furr (FHFurr.com) 6

7 People-Friendly Spaces When buildings no longer breathe, harmful emissions stay trapped inside and become factors contributing to health issues such as allergies and asthma. Source: Web MD / EPA

8 What is Emitting? VOCs are an expansive and ubiquitous class of chemicals that are transmitted through air. VOCs are both man-made and naturally occurring VOC (volatile organic compound) reporting usually refers to emission levels of individual VOCs. Looking at one chemical or compound. TVOCs refer to total VOC emissions a spectrum of emissions. Measures the VOC of every chemical or compound that goes into a product (or a space), and adds them together for a complete view. Example 1: chemical 1 VOC + chemical 2 VOC = TVOC of a product Example 2: furniture VOC + flooring VOC + wall VOC = TVOC of a space

9 Where do Emissions Come From? 9

10 Flooring is a System

11 Flooring is a System: Adhesives Use adhesives that are latex based, low VOC emissions. Some adhesives have FloorScore certification Some spray adhesives can reduce adhesive consumption by 80% Reduced emissions Immediate occupation of the space

12 Flooring is a System: Material Knowing what certifications exist, and how they can be earned and applied, can help you make decisions about what products to use.

13 Certifications asthma & allergy friendly Independently tests and identifies products for likely exposure to allergenic and irritant materials and then determines whether they are compatible with people living with asthma and related allergies. Certification categories include paint, cleaning products, flooring systems, vacuum cleaners, filters for HVAC systems, etc. FloorScore: Certified by the Scientific Certification Systems (SCS) Hard surface flooring and flooring adhesives must meet rigorous IAQ emission requirements to achieve certification. Products with FloorScore certification also meet CA as well as the IAQ emissions criteria of the LEED green building program. GREENGUARD Requires that materials and products meet rigorous requirements for chemical emission levels for more than 360 VOCs and meets CA In addition to meeting the emissions levels for each VOC, total combined emissions for all the compounds must fall under a specific threshold (TVOC).

14 Certifications Green Seal Certification Certify products that meet stringent sustainability standards based on lifecycle research. Based on the ISO standards for environmental labeling programs. Addresses cleaning products (in Canada it s Canada s Environmental Choice/EcoLogo). Cradle to Cradle Certified products must meet requirements in five quality categories relating to human and environmental health. Products must be manufactured with materials that are safe and healthy, and must be designed so all ingredients can be reused safely in nature or industry. Green Label Plus Developed by the Carpet and Rug Institute to test carpet, cushions and adhesives to help specifiers identify products with very low emissions of VOCs.

15 Certifications Collaborative for High Performance Schools While not a third-party certification, this criteria is a benchmarking system that was developed to facilitate the design, construction and operation of high-performance schools with the understanding that student performance is increased with better-designed and healthier facilities. CHPS helps ensure that environments are not only energy and resource-efficient, but also healthy, comfortable, well lit and contain amenities for a quality education.

16 Flooring is a System: Maintenance In commercial buildings, upkeep is a constant factor affecting not only the functions of the building, but also the IAQ. Emissions from chemicals and processes are harmful to custodial staff and occupants. Polishes and strippers Impact on IAQ Impact on water In some states viewed as hazardous waste In hospital facilities, low-maintenance flooring allows patients to rest and recover free from noise and chemicals.

17 Work-related Asthma and Maintenance In 2011, American and European researchers jointly investigated the association between cleaning-related chemicals and work-related asthma and asthma symptoms among healthcare professionals with a cohort of 3650 validated answers of health care professionals to a questionnaire. Workplace asthma was defined as a categorical variable with four mutually exclusive categories: work-related asthma symptoms (WRAS), workexacerbated asthma (WEA), occupational asthma (OA) and none. In their study, the prevalence of WRAS, WEA and OA were 3.3%, 1.1% and 0.8%, respectively. Estimates were generally higher among female than male healthcare professionals. The odds of WRAS and WEA increased in a dose-dependent manner for exposure in the longest job to cleaning agents and disinfectants/sterilizers, respectively. For exposure in any job, the odds of WRAS were significantly elevated for both factor 1 chemicals (bleach, cleaners/abrasives, toilet cleaners, detergents and ammonia) and factor 2 chemicals (glutaraldehyde/ortho-phtaldehyde, chloramines and ethylene oxide). Significantly elevated odds of WEA were observed for exposure to bleach, factor 2 and formalin/ formaldehyde. Exposure to chloramines was significantly associated with an almost fivefold elevated odds of OA. Source: UNC Charlotte, Department of Public Health Sciences

18 Work-related Asthma and Maintenance Starting with the observation that cleaning products may cause workrelated asthma, authors of a study published in 2013 aimed to determine the association between asthma and occupational exposure to cleaning agents in hospital workers. Found results strengthening evidence of a toxic role of some agents (sprays, ammonia) previously observed in studies based only on self-reported exposure, and evidences suggesting associations not previously reported (decalcifiers). Source: Occupational and Environmental Medicine

19 Work-related Asthma and Maintenance Reducing or alternating the kind of product maintenance has a positive health and economic impact. Hackensack University Medical Center's pediatric oncology center in New Jersey switched from using traditional cleaners to custom-made natural products, which dropped cleaning costs by 15 percent and, more importantly, improved IAQ for employees and patients. What should YOU look for? Simple cleaning methods: sweep regularly; use neutral cleaners; mop and clean and/or dry buff.

20 A Case for Good Indoor Air Quality Major university in Massachusetts was replacing the flooring in their childcare facility. Required flooring that would contribute to healthy indoor air and not contribute to or exacerbate asthma and allergies. Contacted the Asthma & Allergy Foundation, who recommended Tarkett s FiberFloor. FiberFloor is designed with woven fiberglass, foam and tough, resilient wear layers that stand up to real-life water, moisture, scuffs, scratches and indentations in a warm, comfortable and it-looks-great kind of way. FiberFloor is asthma & allergy friendly certified. The AAFA (Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America) does not accept products containing phthalates when certifying products as asthma & allergy friendly.

21 A Case for Good Indoor Air Quality FiberFloor was used in approximately 75% of the university s daycare facility. University is pleased with the look of the flooring and the overall results.

22 Encouraging Good IAQ Check to see whether the products you use in your building are certified - Floors, walls, window sills, paint, cleaning supplies, and furniture. Use less emitting cleaning methods for floor maintenance like water or dry buffing. Choose products with phthalate-free plasticizers No-to-low TVOCs Use good materials that are safe and reusable nutrients Use finishes with a positive impact Look at the emission level of everything you could have several products that are low-emitting, but when everything in a room is added up, the overall number can be high.

23 Encouraging Good IAQ Flooring is just part of the equation. Design with materials and use finishes that have a overall positive impact. The choice of good materials in the design of the products. The responsible use of resources in our operations. The recycling at end-ofuse to eliminate waste and to design new products with good materials. The well-being and health of the people during product use and maintenance. 23

24 IAQ Questions?

25 Tarkett Thank you