WHAT MAKES ONE CARPET GREENER THAN ANOTHER?
The EPA offers a few guidelines.
> Low or no volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
> No toxic dyes
> Recyclable
> Recycled content
> Reduced energy use (during manufacturing)
> Reduced or improved air emissions (during manufacturing)
> Minimum 10-year warranty
Recent EPA research found that carpet tiles can be a more sustainable alternative than wall-to-wall products. If you stain a section, for example, you can remove and replace it. Also, you can “rotate” tiles from heavy use areas to light use areas. The EPA’s test building used Milliken 36”x36” tile carpet and low-VOC adhesives to test these principles.
ENERGY AND HEAT RECOVERY VENTILATORS KEY COMPONENT
You may have heard of energy recovery ventilator (ERVs) and their northern cousins, heat recovery ventilators (HRVs). This heat transfer technology is a key component of any modern “tight” house. Without them, modern houses would probably not be worth the foam, tape and caulking they’re sealed with. These mechanical wonders take hot, unconditioned fresh air from outside, pass it over a heat collecting medium, where it gets a partial cool down before entering the home. A study by John Bower (visit
www.healthyhouseinstitute.com) found that using a heat recovery ventilator with continuous ventilation cost a Minnesota homeowner just $86 a year. It cost $188 to do the same ventilation without an HRV. GB
An ERV transfers heat and moisture in hot climates. It dries incoming moist outdoor air and transfers some of that unwanted heat into the exhaust air stream that’s leaving the home.
COMMON HOUSEHOLD POLLUTANTS
POLLUTANTS -
SOURCES -
SYMPTOMS
BENZENE -
Paint, new carpets, new drapes, upholstery -
Headaches, eye/skin irritation, fatigue, cancer
AMMONIA -
Tobacco smoke, cleaning supplies -
Eye/skin irritation, headaches, nosebleeds, sinus problems
CHLOROFORM -
Paint, new drapes, upholstery, new carpeting -
Headaches, asthma attacks, dizziness, eye/ skin irritation
FORMALDEHYDE -
Tobacco smoke, plywood, furniture, particle board, office dividers, new carpets, new drapes, wallpaper, paneling -
Headaches, eye/skin irritation, drowsiness, fatigue, respiratory problems, memory loss, depression, gynecological problems, cancer
BENZOPYRENE -
Tobacco smoke -
Asthma attacks, eye/skin irritation, respiratory irritation
HYDROCARBONS -
Tobacco smoke, gas burners, furnaces -
Headaches, fatigue, nausea, dizziness, breathing difficulty
TRICHLOROETYLENE -
Paints, glues, furniture, wallpaper -
Headaches, eye/skin irritation, respiratory irritation
XYLENE -
Paint, new drapes, new carpets, cleaning supplies -
Headaches, dizziness, fatigue
As you can see from this chart, a lot of the stuff that ends up inside the home is far from benign. The easiest way to address indoor pollutants is to avoid them altogether, rather than treating the “symptoms.” That may mean keeping a detached shed for storage of old paints, cleaning supplies and other potential pollutants. It may also mean avoiding the use of any carpet from a company that does not consider indoor air pollution to be a serious health threat.
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