Appendix H: Additional resources

The following documents provide a starting point to grow knowledge around healthier materials.

Engagement opportunities Group

FACT SHEET

BPA, PFCs, Binders, PVC ( HBN 2006-09 )

Overview

These summaries introduce known health impacts and exposure routes for several classes of chemicals. Some also identify commercially available alternatives for materials containing these chemicals.

PFCs, antimicrobials, flame retardants, bisphenols and phthalates, solvents, metals ( GSPI 2017 )

REPORTS & GUIDES

Avoiding Toxic Chemicals in Commercial Building Products ( BuildingGreen 2012 ) Post-Consumer Polyethylene in Building Products ( HBN/ StopWaste 2016 )

Post-Consumer Flexible Polyurethane Foam Scrap Used In Building Products ( HBN/ StopWaste 2016 ) These brief summary documents introduce each class, how it is defined, where its chemicals are commonly found, and the hazards those chemicals pose to human and environmental health.

This guide provides rules-of-thumb for specification, case studies, information for navigating chemical avoidance lists, and guidance on specific chemicals of concern and their alternatives.

Polyethylene goes mostly unrecycled due to problems in supply chain controls and the relatively low cost of virgin materials. This report examines ways to optimize the use of post-consumer polyethylene in building materials.

This report examines challenges related to flame retardant additives in the use of scrap flexible polyurethane foam in building products.

Healthy Environments: Understanding Antimicrobial Ingredients in Building Materials ( HBN/P+W 2017 )

Healthy Environments: What’s New (and What’s Not) With PVC ( HBN/P+W 2015 )

Healthy Environments: Strategies for Avoiding Flame Retardants in the Built Environment. ( P+W 2014 ) This report presents current information about reported or potential health and environmental impacts of antimicrobial chemicals commonly used in the building industry.

This report presents the human and environmental health hazards of PVC as currently understood through contemporary research.

This report reviews the state of science on flame retardants and their evolving market and regulatory contexts, and identifies opportunities to reduce the use of flame retardants without compromising fire safety or code compliance.

A Small Dose of Toxicology, 2nd Ed . (Steven Gilbert) This e-book examines the health effects of common chemical agents and provides an introduction to the fundamentals of toxicology through the lens of our daily lives.

Engagement opportunities Group

PRODUCT REGISTRIES

HPD, C2C, and Declare product registries

mindful MATERIALS database

Healthy Building Network HomeFree Database

Healthy Urban Places

Overview

The HPD, C2C, and Declare database registries list products compliant with each of the three certification tools and include relevant documentation for each product.

The mindful MATERIALS database is an open-source data platform that aggregates content from several product registries. The database engine, Origin, enables fluid data exchange among manufacturers, auditors, and A+D professionals.

HomeFree is a national initiative run by the Healthy Building Network, which supports professionals in the affordable housing sector in choosing less toxic building materials. Among its many resources, HomeFree offers simplified product category spectra, which rank different product options within a given category according to the toxicity of their chemical contents.

Maintained by the architecture firm Eskew+Dumez+Ripple, this resource collects information about building materials by CSI division, including a Regional Materials Map, to facilitate material selection for Living Building Challenge projects. The site additionally includes relevant research from several organizations in the building industry.

PRIMARY AUTHORS Frances Yang, SE, LEED AP BD+C, WELL AP, specializes in healthier and environmentally preferable materials and structures in the Energy + Sustainability group of the San Francisco office of Arup. In leading Arup’s Americas Sustainable Materials Consulting practice, Frances strives to bring healthy and low-carbon aims into the day-to-day consideration of materials alongside selection for their technical performance. She contributes to the HPDC Technical Committee, AIA Materials Knowledge Working Group, a Cradle-to-Cradle v4 advisory group, and the Carbon Leadership Forum. She also recently vice-chaired the USGBC Materials and Resources TAG and has consulted on numerous projects pursuing LEED v4, WELL, and/or Living Building Challenge.

Sara Tepfer is a Chemistry and Materials Sustainability Consultant in Arup’s San Francisco office. Sara took a unique, cross-disciplinary path that included research, fellowships, and internships in the fields of building science, chemistry, and architecture while earning her Master of Science in architecture at UC Berkeley and BS in chemistry from University of Oregon. Her interests lie in using information on the life-cycle human and environmental health impacts of building materials to inform architectural decision making. She is active on the HPDC Special Conditions subgroup and the mindful Materials Outreach committee. More info on Arup Materials Consulting can be found at http://www.arup.com/services/materials

1735 New York Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20006