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Healthy Building
Health Issues
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Indoor Air Quality:
US EPA ranks indoor air pollution among the top five environmental risks. Unhealthy air
is found in up to 30% of new and renovated buildings
W.H.O. reports that indoor air pollution causes 14 times more deaths than outdoor air
pollution (2.8 million lives) Of hundreds of EPA-regulated chemicals, only ozone and
sulfur dioxide are more prevalent outdoor than indoors. 20 percent of all housing in the
US has too much lead dust or chippings (causes kidney and red blood cell damage,
impairs mental and physical development, may increase high blood pressure)
Ironically, with today‘s high-tech windows, weatherstripping, insulation, and other energy
savers, our houses don‘t “breathe” as well as do older, drafty homes. As a result, a
residual buildup of indoor air pollutants can occur.
Ventilation can solve many of the air-pollution issues, but it‘s tricky to ventilate rooms
without wasting energy.
Energy recovery ventilation systems usually cost more to install than other ventilation
systems. In general, simplicity is key to a cost-effective installation. To save on
installation costs, many systems share existing ductwork.
Complex systems are not only more expensive to install, but they are generally more
maintenance intensive and often consume more electric power. For most houses,
attempting to recover all of the energy in the exhaust air will probably not be worth the
additional cost. Also, these types of ventilation systems are still not very common. Only
some HVAC contractors have enough technical expertise and experience to install them.
In general, you want to have a supply and return duct for each bedroom and for each
common living area. Duct runs should be as short and straight as possible. The correct
size duct is necessary to minimize pressure drops in the system and thus improve
performance. Insulate ducts located in unheated spaces, and seal all joints with duct
mastic (never use ordinary duct tape on ducts.)
Also, energy recovery ventilation systems operated in cold climates must have devices
to help prevent freezing and frost formation. Very cold supply air can cause frost
formation in the heat exchanger, which can damage it. Frost buildup also reduces
ventilation effectiveness.
Energy recovery ventilation systems require more maintenance than other ventilation
systems. They need to be cleaned regularly to prevent deterioration of ventilation rates
and heat recovery, and to prevent mold and bacteria on heat exchanger surfaces
Pesticides:
In the US, pesticides poison 110,000 people each year. More than one-third of calls to
animal poison control centers result from pets exposed to pesticides. The volatile
organic compounds (including pesticides) found indoors are believe to cause 3,000
cases of cancer a year in the US. According to the New York State Attorney General’s
office, 95 percent of the pesticides used on residential lawns are considered probable
carcinogens by the EPA 2,4-D—a component of Agent Orange—is used in about 1,500
lawn care products
Over the past twenty years remarkable advancements have been made in the science
of "safe" pesticides. Organic, or natural pesticides have received the most acclaim and
certainly have the endorsement of environmentalists. But a great deal of progress has
been made towards developing safer synthetic pesticides.
US EPA ranks indoor air pollution among the top five environmental risks. Unhealthy air
is found in up to 30% of new and renovated buildings
W.H.O. reports that indoor air pollution causes 14 times more deaths than outdoor air
pollution (2.8 million lives) Of hundreds of EPA-regulated chemicals, only ozone and
sulfur dioxide are more prevalent outdoor than indoors. 20 percent of all housing in the
US has too much lead dust or chippings (causes kidney and red blood cell damage,
impairs mental and physical development, may increase high blood pressure)
Ironically, with today‘s high-tech windows, weatherstripping, insulation, and other energy
savers, our houses don‘t “breathe” as well as do older, drafty homes. As a result, a
residual buildup of indoor air pollutants can occur.
Ventilation can solve many of the air-pollution issues, but it‘s tricky to ventilate rooms
without wasting energy.
Energy recovery ventilation systems usually cost more to install than other ventilation
systems. In general, simplicity is key to a cost-effective installation. To save on
installation costs, many systems share existing ductwork.
Complex systems are not only more expensive to install, but they are generally more
maintenance intensive and often consume more electric power. For most houses,
attempting to recover all of the energy in the exhaust air will probably not be worth the
additional cost. Also, these types of ventilation systems are still not very common. Only
some HVAC contractors have enough technical expertise and experience to install them.
In general, you want to have a supply and return duct for each bedroom and for each
common living area. Duct runs should be as short and straight as possible. The correct
size duct is necessary to minimize pressure drops in the system and thus improve
performance. Insulate ducts located in unheated spaces, and seal all joints with duct
mastic (never use ordinary duct tape on ducts.)
Also, energy recovery ventilation systems operated in cold climates must have devices
to help prevent freezing and frost formation. Very cold supply air can cause frost
formation in the heat exchanger, which can damage it. Frost buildup also reduces
ventilation effectiveness.
Energy recovery ventilation systems require more maintenance than other ventilation
systems. They need to be cleaned regularly to prevent deterioration of ventilation rates
and heat recovery, and to prevent mold and bacteria on heat exchanger surfaces
Pesticides:
In the US, pesticides poison 110,000 people each year. More than one-third of calls to
animal poison control centers result from pets exposed to pesticides. The volatile
organic compounds (including pesticides) found indoors are believe to cause 3,000
cases of cancer a year in the US. According to the New York State Attorney General’s
office, 95 percent of the pesticides used on residential lawns are considered probable
carcinogens by the EPA 2,4-D—a component of Agent Orange—is used in about 1,500
lawn care products
Over the past twenty years remarkable advancements have been made in the science
of "safe" pesticides. Organic, or natural pesticides have received the most acclaim and
certainly have the endorsement of environmentalists. But a great deal of progress has
been made towards developing safer synthetic pesticides.
Recent studies reveal that
buildings with good overall
environmental quality can
reduce allergies, asthma and
even enhance your
performance at work.
buildings with good overall
environmental quality can
reduce allergies, asthma and
even enhance your
performance at work.
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