Contractors will often ask if they can substitute a product that is different from the one you have specified. The specified product may be unavailable, too expensive, or too difficult to apply, or contractors may have one that they have used before and prefer. New and healthier products continue to be developed; it may be worth your while to consider certain substitutions. The first step in researching alternatives is to examine the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS). (Refer to the section on MSDS that follows.) You may also request a physical sample. To ensure that no substitutions are made without your consent or that of your architect, you may wish to add the following language to your agreement:
• No products may be substituted for the specified product unless agreed upon in writing by the owner or architect.
• An MSDS and product literature must be
provided on any substitution for it to be considered.
• Submit a physical sample to the owner or architect whenever possible.
Since the last edition of this book, the availability of products considered acceptable for a healthy house has skyrocketed. An emerging problem when evaluating products for use in your healthy home is determining just how healthy a product will be. Some manufacturers have deliberately sought to capitalize on the burgeoning green market by engaging in what is being termed “green washing,” making claims that are not necessarily borne out by evidence. Others have created acceptable products to satisfy regulatory compliance. Not all products that are promoted as green are acceptable for a healthy home and some are more acceptable than others. Some products are considered green because they use recycled materials; others may be labeled green because they come from a sustainable resource or conserve energy. Chemical formulations may be “safe for the environment” but when confined in an indoor area may still cause adverse reactions for people. Very few products will be universally acceptable for people with multiple chemical sensitivities. Consumers interested in healthy construction need to remain vigilant and do their homework. Chemically sensitive individuals will need to be the most vigilant.
Several resources have emerged to help consumers do their own research to find safer and more environmentally sound products. In 1986, California voters passed Proposition 65, the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic
Enforcement Act.1 It was intended by its authors to help protect Californians by informing them about chemicals known to cause cancer, birth defects, and other kinds of harm. The law states that “no person in the course of doing business shall knowingly and intentionally expose any individual to a chemical known to the state to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity without first giving clear and reasonable warning…” The governor is required to publish annually a list of chemicals that are considered problematic. The current list contains several hundred chemicals.
In 2003, the law was amended by the legislature to set aside a sizable amount of any penalties collected under this law to help pay for future enforcement. The results have been far-reaching. The law’s requirement that products with any of the hazardous ingredients listed have a warning on the label has served as an inducement for manufacturers to create healthier products for the California market, which are then often distributed nationwide. Since the list is updated annually, it is in a manufacturer s best interest to develop products that are safe so they do not have to be reformulated later.
Other incentive certification programs have been developed to help promote products that meet low-emissions criterion. One of these is the GreenGuard Certification Program for Low Emitting Products, founded in 2001. The certification is a voluntary program available to manufacturers who choose to submit their products for regular evaluation. The program is supported by fees paid by the manufacturers. Product criteria vary with the type of product, but in general a product must be tested to release less than the preestablished levels of volatile organic compounds, aldehydes, formaldehyde, and styrene. Adhesive and sealant products also have limits on the amount of 4-Phenylcyclohexene (4-PC) they can emit.
While GreenGuard certified products may be better than many of the conventional products available, certification doesn’t guarantee that the products are free of all emissions. Therefore, because products are tested individually, the total impact of several low-emissions products used together may affect sensitive individuals. Furthermore, the tests reflect levels at seven days after installation, and levels of emissions will be higher when first installed, before the rooms are flushed out. Ingredients that are listed under California’s Proposition 65, the US National Toxicology Program, and the International Agency on Research on Cancer are not prohibited for certification but must be listed. Primary or secondary outdoor pollutants cannot exceed concentrations permitted by National Air Quality Standards. Volatile organic compounds must be less than one-tenth of the Threshold Limit Value set for industrial exposure by the American Conference of Government Industrial Hygienists. Products are tested in a chamber following a set protocol and not under actual use conditions. Because the tests use an amount of material with the same “exposed surface area to room volume” found in a typical indoor environment, the results are intended to approximate an accurate picture of emissions in real — life situations.
While GreenGuard provides some level of independent certification of emission levels, it does not provide an evaluation of the products themselves and how well they work or other considerations for usage. The McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry firm offers a certification based on the principles popularized by their book Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things. Throughout their lifecycle, products certified by Cradle to Cradle must satisfy established criteria for both human and environmental health. To qualify, materials need to be sustainable and able to be recycled or broken down to form beneficial nutrients. Products must identify their ingredients down to a level of 100 parts per million, meet other toxicity requirements, have a plan for using solar energy for their manufacture, conserve water, not pollute water, and be socially responsible. Cradle to Cradle certification is offered at various levels. Because at the lowest level it can be used by products that have not been evaluated for emissions, being certified does not necessarily demonstrate acceptability from a health standpoint. Even being rated at the highest level does not ensure that a product will be suitable for all chemically sensitive individuals.
Green Seal is an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to safeguarding the environment. It is continually establishing new standards and certification programs for various product and service categories. Once a product category standard is developed by Green Seal, manufacturers can submit their products for evaluation. After they become listed, products are reviewed each year to ensure they continue to comply. The Green Seal program is discussed further in the section on commercial cleaning products later in this chapter. Other product categories include adhesives and floor care products. The reader should review the standards for products of interest to determine acceptability. For example, the standard for compact fluorescent lighting allows up to 10 milligrams of mercury per lamp, although lower-level compacts are available.
Scientific Certification Systems offers an Environmental Certification Program for products meeting voluntary indoor air quality goals. The company has participated in creating independent third-party standard verifications for a number of programs. Their Indoor Advantage Gold program sets limits for formaldehyde, aldehydes, and 4-PC in paints and other household maintenance products. Requirements for products vary and should be checked on the Scientific Certification Systems website.
Although certifications provide information that products meet certain minimum criteria, the actual test results for products are kept confidential, so it is not possible for the consumer to compare the various certified products to one another to see which have the lowest emissions. Forums are beginning to emerge that provide a platform for consumers to post their experiences with a product. The potential of these venues is tremendous, especially for chemically sensitive individuals, but only time will tell which will emerge as having the greatest value. One resource for consumer review and comment on green building products is Rate It Green, which lists many of the products we recommend and will hopefully emerge as a strong companion to our book for the consumer interested in constructing a healthy house.
