What is a healthy building material?

The basic premise behind the Healthy Materials Lab is that building materials can negatively impact occupant health by a number of routes, primarily:

• volatilisation of chemicals in those building materials (a.k.a off-gassing of Volatile Organic Compounds) most commonly in wet-applied materials and composite wood products
• chemical degradation of materials due to exposure to water or sunlight, thereby releasing chemicals from the material into the indoor air
• abrasion can do much the same thing as materials are scuffed or rubbed while in use, releasing chemicals into the air
• oxidation of materials such as burning or rusting, a process that can release harmful substances into the indoor environment
• leaching, as materials dissolve into liquid such as water, for example as occurs in lead pipes
• climate change has a negative impact on outdoor air quality, that in turn finds its way into our buildings, especially when inadequate ventilation system filters are in use

These chemicals can then get into the body via a number of routes, such as:

• inhalation
• ingestion
• hand-to-mouth ingestion (having touched a dirty surface)
• absorption through the skin or hair follicles
• breastfeeding
• placental transfer meaning babies can be exposed to chemicals even before they are born

In terms of the impacts on our health, there are are number of main risks to be aware of, including:

• asthmagens - asthma
• carcinogens - cancer
• endocrine disruptors - infertility
• preterm birth via exposure to VOCs, formaldehyde, benzene and particulate matter (PM)
• autism via exposure to environmental factors such as air pollutants and mercury
• obesity via exposure to PFC (perfluorinated chemicals), flame retardants and phthalates)

To counter balance what can seem a disturbingly long list of health risks, as healthy building consultants we can and indeed should demand ever greater transparency from material manufacturers.

If we don’t know what’s inside a product, or even worse, if a manufacturer doesn’t know everything that’s in their own product, based on the Precautionary Principle it has to be classified as a risk for the health of the interiors or entire building in question.

In practical terms, this means giving health a seat at the design table, right up there alongside form and function.

We are, in short, talking about a fundamental shift towards healthy design strategies, whilst maintaining the aesthetics, quality and durability of traditional design.

It is not one or the other, but rather an expanded interpretation of what good design means.

Human and planetary health need to be part of that process.