From green buildings to toxin-free buildings: Homes of the future?

Popular green options were not always the least toxic
or "healthy" materials, a couple's research showed.

When a Minneapolis couple decided to replace their mold-riddled, 1950s-era home, they wanted to use the least toxic materials available.

Since the wife had just undergone treatment for ovarian cancer, the couple wanted to reduce their exposure to chemicals and toxins linked to cancer to help prevent occurrences.

Their quest was not an easy one, since there exists no official standard for building a “healthy” home, and the couple had to do their own research into materials, studies and marketing claims to get what they wanted.

The inside of their luxuriously large house now features curved stone and wood walls, high ceilings, glass-and-steel floating stairs and copper accents.

The couple's non-toxic options include:

• Cast-iron pipes instead of PVC piping
• Water purification system
• Air purification system
• American Clay plaster on inside walls that resists mold
• Wood floors with toxin-free, water-based finishes
• A green roof for insulation and better indoor air quality
• Recycled-glass counter tops

It is still a fact that non-toxic and green homes often cost a bit more, but a growing public awareness about chemical exposures and potentially harmful materials may help make them become more available to the general public.

Source: Wall Street Journal

Air cleaners for better indoor air quality

Whether it’s during construction or after completion, the indoor air in most buildings tends to be polluted in some way, exposing people to airborne chemicals, odors, dust, particles, biological contaminants and mold.

Electrocorp has developed portable and extremely powerful air cleaners for a wide range of commercial and industrial applications as well as for residential use.

The air cleaners purify the air with a multistage filtration system containing deep beds of activated carbon for chemicals, odors and gases, HEPA for particles and dust, pre-filters for larger pollutants and optional UV germicidal filtration for the neutralization of molds, bacteria and viruses.

Contact Electrocorp for more information or recommendations.
 

Workplace issues: Dust can become a health risk

Ventilation and air cleaning are important for better
indoor air quality and higher productivity.

Indoor air pollution can affect anyone working indoors for the majority of the day, including office workers, police officers, social workers and court employees.

Common symptoms are

• Chronic coughs and sneezing
• Scratchy throats
• Itchy eyes
• Headaches
• Recurrent bouts of sinus infections, bronchitis, allergies and asthma

The symptoms may only be apparent in some workers, while other remain unaffected, making it difficult for sufferers to be taken seriously.

The health effects can be caused by indoor air pollutants such as mold, chemicals and dust.

In fact, dust is often overlooked as a main irritant in indoor environments, according to an occupational hygienist working at Connecticut’s OSHA division.

Every indoor environment will be polluted by dust, which is generally comprised of fine particles, skin dander, insect parts, pollen, cobwebs, dirt and other contaminants. Dust can also be a source of exposure for chemicals and bacteria that have attached themselves to the particles.

Indoor air pollution - a hidden danger at the workplace

With less money available for cleaning services and similar tasks, indoor air quality has become a growing problem in most buildings.

Workers may be too busy or unwilling to clean their own work spaces, and the rising occurrence of extreme weather events leads to increased leaks and flooding and possible mold infestations.

According to the EPA, poor indoor air quality costs tens of billions of dollars annually in lost productivity and health care.

Source: The Day Connecticut

Tips for a healthier and cleaner office

1. Keep offices free of clutter and obstructions. Airflow is essential to good air quality, so an overcrowded and cluttered office will be a challenge
2. Maintain heating and air conditioning equipment. This includes regular cleanings or at least spot checks to ensure that there is no mold or other biological growth. Air vents and intakes should not be obstructed.
3. Regular dusting and cleaning of the office space should include the walls and floors behind desks and all surfaces, regardless of whether people like to have their things moved or not.
4. Keep it healthy. Do not use scented air fresheners or harsh cleaning products
5. Use an air cleaner with activated carbon and HEPA. This combination of air filters can remove airborne pollutants such as dust, particles, mold, bacteria, viruses, chemicals, odors and fumes.

Want to know more about air cleaners for offices and large buildings? Electrocorp offers a wide range of air cleaners for commercial and industrial applications that feature an activated carbon, HEPA and optional UV filter combination. Contact an IAQ specialist from Electrocorp for more information and recommendations.
  

Universities, colleges ponder smoking bans on campuses

Tobacco smoke is not the only indoor air pollutant
affecting students, faculty and staff.

Almost half of campuses in the United States are considering bans on tobacco in all its forms, or have already enacted such policies, according to a recent AP article in the Washington Post.

That means not only is smoking not allowed inside the buildings, but it may be banned from the entire campus as well.

Despite opposition from student smokers and some staff and faculty members, the bans are perhaps a natural result of the mounting evidence presented by researchers about the dangerous effects of tobacco smoke and secondhand smoke exposure.

The main reasons speaking for such bans are:

• Health risks
• Reduced costs of smoke-free dorms and facilities
• Minimizing enticements to form a dangerous lifelong habit

Universities in California, New York and Missouri are planning tobacco bans in the near future.

The surgeon general’s report for 2012 identified the ages of 18-26 as the most critical for young people to start smoking and become lifelong users.

About a quarter to a third of college students smoke, studies show.

However, campus tobacco bans have gained popularity across the nation, growing from pretty much zero a decade ago to more than 700 today.

Source: Washington Post

Improving indoor air quality in universities and schools

The ban on tobacco products is a good first step, but many universities, colleges and schools still suffer from poor indoor air quality, which can impede the students’ ability to retain information, lower their productivity and affect everyone’s health and well-being.

The air in the learning institutions often contains mold spores, dust, pollen, chemicals, VOCs, odors and other irritants, which can be removed by Electrocorp’s air cleaners for schools and universities.

The air cleaners feature the most complete air filtration system with activated carbon and HEPA as well as optional UV germicidal filtration to be able to tackle of all of the aforementioned pollutants.

Electrocorp has worked with hundreds of universities across North America, providing air cleaners to classrooms, laboratories, welding labs, office/administrative tracts, libraries and archives, painting and art studios as well as other environments.

For more information, contact Electrocorp.

Fragrances banned in some government offices and hospitals

Providing relief to allergy sufferers and chemically sensitive persons

Public buildings can accommodate allergy sufferers
and MCS sufferers with no-scent policies.

As chemical sensitivity and allergy rates soar, many public buildings have become a “no-scent” zone to accommodate those who may react to strong fragrances and perfumes.

In Tuttle, Oklahoma, city hall visitors wearing perfumes are asked to remain at the front of the building. City workers in Portland, Oregon, have been banned from using fragrance.

A medical center in Bremerton, Washington, also asks employees and visitors to skip scents and to choose less fragrant flowers, and a hospital in Windom, Minnesota has been fragrance-free since 1999.

What is in fragrances and perfumes?

Perfumes and fragrances, or aroma compounds, are chemical compounds that have a smell or odor.

Perfumes can also contain essential oils, solvents and fixatives. The precise formula of commercial perfumes and fragrances is often kept secret.

Evidence in peer-reviewed journals shows that some fragrances can cause asthmatic reactions in some individuals, especially those with severe or atopic asthma.

Many fragrance ingredients can also cause headaches, allergic skin reactions or nausea.

In a two-phase population study published in Environmental Health Perspectives, perfume was one of three main culprits of triggering attacks in people with chemical sensitivities, along with cleaning agents and pesticides.

Source: USA Today, other

Cleaning the air indoors with carbon + HEPA filters

While source control is one of the most effective ways to control irritants and indoor air pollutants, it’s not always possible to ensure that such a ban or policy is followed at all times.

Activated carbon: Best filter for
chemicals, odors and gases.

Fortunately, the right type of air cleaner can provide cleaner and healthier air around the clock and without adding any harmful byproducts to the ambient air.

Electrocorp has developed air cleaners for commercial and industrial applications that feature a powerful activated carbon and HEPA plus optional UV germicidal filtration combo to offer the best overall protection from common indoor air contaminants.

Among other uses, Electrocorp air cleaners can be found in

• Offices and office buildings
• Hospitals and healthcare settings
• Universities and schools

For more information, contact Electrocorp today: 1-866-667-0297.