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Is Green Construction Bad for Your Health?

Posted July 11, 2011 8:52 AM

Going green just might be making you sick. Or so says a recent report from the Institute of Medicine. Cited as the prime culprits: untested materials that could pose a significant respiratory health risk, and airtight buildings that can create bad indoor air quality. What are your thoughts on how to achieve sustainability goals and curb energy costs without threatening the health of building occupants?

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tcmtech
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#1

Re: Is Green Construction Bad for Your Health?

07/11/2011 8:14 PM

I don't know about 'going green' being bad for my health but I do know that all of the BS that gets attached to the 'going green' movement sickens me something terrible.

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Tornado
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#2
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Re: Is Green Construction Bad for Your Health?

07/12/2011 2:04 AM

If "green" buildings are still using airtight ideas, then the green is the green gills of the occupants.

Or maybe .

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jlstitt
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#3

Re: Is Green Construction Bad for Your Health?

07/12/2011 4:30 AM

i had a bad experiece from all the formaldide emitting fumes in a new home that was nearly air tight. it took months before the fumes even started to disapate. the house was unlivable for half a year.
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Doorman
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#5
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Re: Is Green Construction Bad for Your Health?

07/12/2011 8:43 AM

Hmmnm. That is odd...

In order for a new building to be classified as 'Green', the wood adhesives must be free of urea-formaldehyde. This is the doors, the plywood, casework (cabinets)... everything.

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chrisg288
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#4

Re: Is Green Construction Bad for Your Health?

07/12/2011 8:06 AM

Perhaps it is just chemicals that are harmful to our health, and doesn't really matter what you call them. (green or otherwise)
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WWkayaker
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#6

Re: Is Green Construction Bad for Your Health?

07/13/2011 9:37 AM

A properly designed "green" home will not have these issues. air makeup units with heat exchangers are required to prevent the indoor air quality issues from the cleaning chemicals that we use. Even a "non-green" home has indoor air quality issues. The contractors are the ones that need to have the feet held to the fire. Some seem to over look the requirement for formaldehyde free lumber, radiation free granite, VOC free glues used in sub-flooring, flooring and countertops, and VOC free paints, primers carpeting pad and carpeting.

More less, if anything in the construction of the house or any cleaner used in the house has any toxic, the indoor air quality is going to suffer due to the off-gasing.

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jlstitt
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#7
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Re: Is Green Construction Bad for Your Health?

07/15/2011 12:25 AM

i don't think the the govnerment is anxious monitor anything that would stand in the way of economic growth reguardless of the health hazzards. after a heated argument with a dep agent over the loss of my water due to coal stripping in my area, i asked him who he was working for, the victims or the coal companies or the coal companies themselves. he finally dropped his head in defeat and admitted that his job was to make sure that coal production was not impeded. he retired shortly after. with a guilty conscience would image.
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WWkayaker
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Re: Is Green Construction Bad for Your Health?

07/15/2011 8:46 AM

I deal with air quality from coal quite a bit. I had a coal mine (the largest in the US) that I was the inspector for. I was out there every month during that year and had 25 complaints and the coal mine is a minor source for particulate matter. A minor source isn't supposed to take up that much time. The coal mine was actually very proactive at being a good neighbor. The neighbors were just very mad that they didn't get bought out when the rest of the area was bought. Anyway, the complaints now are for dust deposition which a) we don't regulate and b) is going to happen because the source is permitted to emit a certain amount of particulate matter and it is going to settle out locally. The people around there started questioning my integrity after I was spending long nights and weekends out there without finding any violations of the permit or air quality rules and regulations. Around my office, people quit because they can't do anything about the problems other than enforce what regulations we have and the regulations aren't solving the problems.

I also have 4 coal fired power plants that I inspect. They don't get away with anything. One is right out the office window. The regulations are very strict on them and they should be.

I have seen the "backdoor" way of politics where the administration tries to tell the workers behind closed doors to do things differently. Problem with that in my field is we have public review of all of our finished work and the finished work can not violate any rules or regulations. They have managed to change some of the state rules and regulations in a way that is more business friendly by only doing the minimum required by EPA. Although, in other areas, we are more strict.

I can't say what our DNR would have done in your case. My state doesn't allow coal stripping and EPA requires the land be returned to its original condition once the mine is closed. I don't like the use of water to blast away the land. It pollutes the rivers that I love to kayak. I don't like mountain top removal either as it also severely pollutes those rivers.

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phaustin1
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#9
In reply to #6

Re: Is Green Construction Bad for Your Health?

08/01/2011 9:38 PM

Don't blame the contractor!. If the house or renovation is designed by a competent architect, these issues should not happen. The architect is responsible for specifying the products. Any good contractor is aware of these issues and relies on the material suppliers for information or can turn to the web for product information. Right now contractors are being bombarded by new energy codes, lead rules, OSHA requirements and overwhelmed by the number of new products hitting the market everyday, never mind the fact that the state of housing construction in this economy is at an all time low.

I know, I am one of them and work very hard to be sure what I build is safe, heathly, sustainable and has the lowest use of energy the budget allows.
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chrisg288 (1); Doorman (1); jlstitt (2); phaustin1 (1); tcmtech (1); Tornado (1); WWkayaker (2)

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