The toxic products of the buildings are endangering our health?

A recently published study highlights the potential dangers of a vast and little-known, range of chemicals used in construction materials that can jeopardize human health.

These chemicals are widely used in construction and are present on the walls, ceilings and floors of new houses, schools, hospitals and offices, places where most people spend around 90% of their time.

These harmful chemicals include neurotoxins, carcinogens, artificial hormones and reproductive endocrine, who may be having an active role in increasing health problems of populations. A team of American scientists, in partnership with the Healthy Buildings network, conducted a study focusing on a specific problem: asthma.

"In spite of giving more attention and to intervene more than ever, asthma rates continue to increase," says founder and executive director of the network of Sudáveis Buildings, Bil Walsh, at The Huffington Post. "There are chemicals in building materials that can cause asthma", stresses.

When crossing a list of chemicals that cause asthma with other suspicious substances present in more than 1,300 insulation products, paving and other building materials, Walsh's team identified a priority list of materials that should not be used, in order to prevent asthma. These 20 outstanding products have high potential to spark off asthma attacks but also to be inhaled or ingested by the occupants of the building.

Many volatile organic compounds such as formaldehyde, were included in the list, and potentially toxic emissions of these products increase when they are new. Semi-voláteis organic compounds, which are not as appreciated by the construction industry, also incorporate the list, due to the propensity to risk long-term interiors as they degrade.

"That smell of new buildings or the cars smell the poison," says the Chief Executive of the Bullitt Foundation, the greenest office building in the world, which excluded their 360 construction toxic chemicals.

The flame retardants, plasticizers of phthalate and other materials have been identified as hormone disruptors. More known for their growing links to obesity, breast cancer and attention deficit, studies indicate that chemicals can affect lung development in fetuses, infants and small children. "This can create conditions that actually lead to asthma," says Walsh.

Energy efficiency is increasing

In recent decades, as more and more chemicals entering the human daily life, patterns of energy efficiency of buildings increases. However, even the buildings that have energy certification can still be full of toxic chemicals. "Normally, people assume that a green building is good for health", says Walsh. "However, there is no prerequisite to health indicators based on chemicals and people can make assumptions that are not guaranteed".

However, some measures are being taken to take into account the indicators of health in sustainable buildings. At a Conference in November, the regulators of the energy certifications revealed new requirements for the obtaining of such licences, which are an opportunity for the constructors to eliminate certain toxic agents.

Thus, not only would benefit the users of buildings, as well as the construction and maintenance industry as well as the firefighters who are exposed to toxic fumes in the event of a fire of buildings.

Foto:  curtis palmer / Creative Commons

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