Greening Buildings for Better Health
5 February 2007
By Chia Yen Ling

More than half of a human’s air intake during one lifetime is inhaled at home. The quality of indoor air is believed to be one of the crucial factors governing one’s health. It is found that indoor environmental quality (IEQ) is one of the main culprits of allergies, airway infections and cancers (Sundell, 2004). Accompanied with this knowledge is the increased emphasis on IEQ and health issues.

Building Dampness & Ventilation

Studies have shown that dampness in buildings and inadequate ventilation is related to health effects, such as cough, wheeze, allergies and asthma, Sick Building Syndrome and respiratory infections (Bornehag et al., 2001). Visible mould and damp spots, detached or discoloured flooring materials, condensation on the inside of window panes, flooding and bad odour were all identified as indicating risks to health. The possible causative agents are house dust mites, microbiological exposures and chemicals from degraded building materials. Studies conducted in Europe and America suggest that sick buildings or places where there is increased risk of respiratory disease potentially have a significant loss of productivity and health (Sundell, 1999).

Building Materials

Building materials and products can have a large impact on the IEQ as they may release a wide variety of pollutants, especially, volatile organic compounds (VOC), which could cause indoor air related health problems. The primary emissions of VOCs from building materials and products influence the IEQ during the initial decay period. What is normally not known is that secondary emissions will continue thereafter in the process of chemical or physical degradation (Clause et al, 1999). Building materials emitting VOCs include paints, carpets, furniture coating and primer (Chang and Guo, 1998; Knudsen, 1999) that can exacerbate allergies and asthma, and cause headaches and nausea.

Go Green for Better Health

As people are becoming conscious of the environment they live and work in, green building design is quickly becoming a common practice as the health benefits and comfort associated with good IEQ is more pronounced. Common green building features are able to combat some of the health issues which arise due to poor IEQ and are likely to benefit the indoor environmental quality in the following ways:

• Advanced ventilation and mechanical systems to improve air flow and reduce build up of microbial agents, especially in air-conditioning systems and construction materials.
  
  
• Selection of building materials and furnishings that have low VOCs and toxicity.
  
  
• Increased exposure to the natural environment and greenery through more open views to the outdoors for air quality enhancement and psychological reasons.
  
  
• Use of daylighting and/or high quality, energy efficient lighting to reduce computer glare and increase visual comfort.
  

There is growing recognition of significant influence of indoor environmental quality (IEQ) on health and productivity. The inappropriate choice of building materials or poor indoor ventilation can lead to undesirable effects on one’s health. Choosing environmentally-responsible building products and materials for homes and offices can greatly enhance the living and working environment.


References:

Bornehag, C.G., Blomquist, G., Gyntelberg, F., Järvholm, B., Malmberg, P., Nielsen, A., Pershagen, G. (2001). Dampness in Buildings and Health: Nordic interdisciplinary review of the scientific evidence on associations between exposure to "dampness" and health effects, NORDDAMP. Indoor Air, 11(2), 72-86.

Chang, J.C.S. and Guo Z. (1998). Emissions of odorous aldehydes from alkyd paint. Atmos Environ, 32(20), 3581-3586.

Clausen, P.A., Wolkoff, P. Hoist, E. Nielsen, P.A. (1991). Long-term Emission of Volatile Organic Compounds from Waterborne Paints - Methods of Comparison. Indoor Air, 1(4), 562–576.

Knudsen, H.K., Kjaer, U.D., Nielsen, P.A., Wolkoff, P. (1999). Sensory and chemical characterization of VOC emissions from building products: impact of concentration and air velocity. Atmos Environ, 33 (8), 1217-1230.

Sundell, J. (1999). Indoor Environment and Health, Stockholm, Sweden: National Institute of Public Health.

Sundell, J. (2004). On the history of indoor air quality and health. Indoor Air. 14 (Suppl 7), 51–58.

Green Mark Criteria and Scoring System

The Green Mark assesses five key environmental areas: