Indoor Air Problems
Poor indoor air quality degrades the quality of life for building occupants and homeowners and can trigger respiratory problems, such as asthma. Chemical emissions from common interior products are a major source of indoor pollution. Choosing low emitting products significantly reduce the level of irritating contaminates in the indoor air. Products bearing the GREENGUARD Indoor Air Quality Certified label significantly reduce indoor air pollution without added cost or effort.
About the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute
The GREENGUARD Environmental Institute is an independent, non-profit organization that oversees the GREENGUARD Certification Program, including the establishment of acceptable standards for indoor products and testing protocols. The Institute's goal is to improve public health and quality of life by helping manufacturers build better and safer products. The GREENGUARD Certification Program is the only independent testing program for low-emitting products.
The Greenguard Environmental Institute (GEI) has established performance based standards to define goods with low chemical and particle emissions for use indoors, primarily building materials, interior furnishings, furniture, cleaning and maintenance products, electronic equipment, and personal care products. The standard establishes certification procedures including test methods, allowable emissions levels, product sample collection and handling, testing type and frequency, and program application processes and acceptance.
Greenguard Features and Benefits
Features:
- Chemical emissions tests meeting protocols established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), and the American Society of Testing Materials (ASTM) to determine whether the emissions pose a health risk.
- Provide a benchmark upon which product comparisons and improvements can be made.
- Greenguard Environmental Institute is a non-profit organization with advisory board of independent scientists, public health professionals and architectural design experts.
Benefits:
- Products have been proved to emit minimal levels of VOC's and formaldehyde.
- Additional bid opportunities for government and commercial buyers that are participating in green building programs.
- Decrease risks for product elimination
- Communicate corporate commitment to product quality with respect to public health.
- Independent third party certification
- Increased customer confidence
- Limited liability in case of litigation
- Continuing education course approved by the major architecture and design professional organizations.
- Use of Logo as consumer acceptance of product.
- Products will be in the GREENGUARD Product Guide.
- Certification will include announcement made to the press and their extensive e-mail list.
GREENGUARD Allowable Emission Levels
All products are tested in dynamic environmental chambers following ASTM standards D-5116-97 and D- 6670-01, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's testing protocol for furniture and the State of Washington's protocol for interior furnishings and construction materials. Products are measured for emission levels, which must meet the following indoor air concentrations within 5 days of unpackaging. Air concentrations are based on the product being in a room 32 m3 in volume with an outdoor air concentration of 0.8 air changes per hour (ACH).
Maximum allowable emission levels are those required by the state of Washington's indoor air quality program for new construction, the US Environmental Protection Agency's procurements specifications, the recommendations from the World Health Organization, and Germany's Blue Angel Program for electronic equipment. When multiple emission values are recommended, the lesser or more stringent is used as the acceptable emission value for GREENGUARD certification.
| Total VOCs
|
0.50 mg/m3
|
| Formaldehyde
|
0.05 ppm
|
| Total aldehydes
|
0.1 ppm
|
| 4-phenylcyclohexene
|
0.0065 mg/m3
|
| Styrene
|
0.070 mg/m3
|
Listing of measured carcinogens and reproductive toxins as identified by California Proposition 65, the U.S. National Toxicology Program (NTP), and the International Agency on Research on Cancer (IARC) must be provided.
Any pollutant not listed must produce an air concentration level no greater than 1/10 the Threshold Limit Value (TLV) industrial work place standard (Reference: American Conference of Government Industrial Hygienists, 6500 Glenway, Building D-7, Cincinnati, Ohio 45211-4438).
Any pollutant regulated as a primary or secondary outdoor air pollutant must meet a concentration that will not generate an air concentration greater than that promulgated by the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (U.S. EPA, code of Federal Regulations, Title 40, Part 50).
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