This document discusses healthy building materials and considerations regarding electromagnetic fields (EMFs). It covers the current health crisis related to environmental toxins and their impact on conditions like autism and cancer. It then outlines strategies for avoiding toxic chemicals in green buildings, including using "red lists" to restrict certain materials and researching healthier alternatives. The document presents case studies of homes built using non-toxic materials that still achieved high energy efficiency. Finally, it discusses electromagnetic fields from sources like wiring and cell phones and their potential health impacts.

1. Healthy Building Materials
and EMF Considerations
Saturday, September 6, 2014
Real Goods Solar Living Center
SolFest

2. Melanie Loftus
• Green Building Consultant
• Healthy Materials
Consulting
• LEED BD+C
• Living Building Challenge
Volunteer Ambassador
• Yale School of Forestry and
Environmental Studies,
Master of Environmental
Management

3. Cate Leger
• Principal, Leger Wanaselja
Architecture
• Master of Architecture, UC
Berkeley
• Architecture award
highlights: AIA COTE Top Ten
Green, AIA Best of the Bay,
Sunset Western Homes, Build
It Green Green Home Tours
• Prior Work experience: Sim
Van Der Ryn Architects,
William McDonough
Architects, 5 years on Capitol
Hill as environmental lobbyist
and legislative aide.

4. Cameron Das
• Environmental Inspector & EMF
Consultant
• Certified Lead Inspector &
Assessor by the CA Department
of Public Health (CDPH LA)
• Building Performance Institute
(BPI), Building Analyst (BA) and
Electromagnetic Radiation
Specialist (EMRS)
• Building Science Research
• B.S. Carnegie Mellon University,
Civil Engineering and Japanese,
Minor in Business
Administration.

5. PART I
Health Crisis

6. Health Crisis
“Today, one out of every six children suffers from some form of
neurodevelopmental abnormality.... Some environmental chemicals are known
to cause brain damage and many more are suspected of it.“
braindrain.dk

7. Autism on the Rise

8. Autism Diagnosis jumps 30% in 2 years

9. 1988 to 1994 1994 to 2000 2000 to 2006
Courtesy of Tracey Woodruff, UCSF School of Medicine
Prevalence of chronic conditions among children and
youth increased from 28 % 1988 to 52% 2006

10. Health Crisis
• The lifetime probability of
developing cancer in US
men is 1 in 2, and in US
women is 1 in 3
• 16% of Americans suffer
from auto immune
diseases
• 1 third of Americans have
chronic diseases in
general
AARDA.com, Nature vol 479, pg 22, .healthandenvironment.orgs

11. ACOG/ASRM Committee Opinion “Environmental exposures can have a
profound and lasting impact on the health of our patients and future
generations”
Courtesy of Tracey Woodruff, UCSF School of Medicine

12. Rationale for considering health and
environmental impacts of buildings
• Use 40% of raw material globally (3 billion tons
annually)
• Consume 65% of total U.S. electricity
• Construction and operations responsible for ~45% of total U.S.
greenhouse gas emissions
(includes electricity use)
Courtesy of Ted Schettler, SEHN

13. THE PROBLEM:
Most Chemicals Are NOT Effectively Regulated in the U.S.
• The U.S. Toxic Substances
Control Act (1976)
• 62,000 chemicals in commerce
“grandfathered”
• 20,000 new chemicals have
been introduced
o 85% have no health data
o 67% have no data at all
Michael Wilson, Green Chemistry in California: http://coeh.berkeley.edu/news/06_wilson_policy.htm
700 new chemicals added each year

14. Adopting the Precautionary Principle
“When an activity raises threats of harm to human
health or the environment, precautionary measures
should be taken even if some cause and effect
relationships are not fully established scientifically.”
Wingspread Conference Statement on the
Precautionary Principle. January 26, 1998.

15. PART II
Strategies for avoiding toxic chemicals in green buildings

16. Volatile Organic Compounds
• Solvents
Paints  Sealants  Coatings  Wet-applied finishes
• Formaldehyde
Composite woods  Wet-applied finishes  Adhesives  Insulation 
Carpets, carpet adhesives, seam tapes
• Ethylene glycol
Waterborne paints and finishes
• “Exempt” VOCs: Non- ozone forming volatile compounds

17. Semi-Volatile Organic Compounds
• Flame retardants
Foam plastic insulation  Electronics
• Plasticizers & Endocrine disruptors
Vinyl flooring  Polycarbonate plastics  Adhesives  Epoxies
• No regulations to measure SVOC content in materials
• SVOCs behave less predictably than VOCs and do not decrease
off gassing over time

18. Other toxic materials found in
building products
• Isocyanates
Polyurethanes (including spray foam insulation) Composites (cured)
• Asphalt
Roofing  Waterproofing
• Chlorinated plastics
Waterproofing  Flooring  Roofing  Plumbing and irrigation
• Fluorinated chemicals
Stain and water repellants  Carpets  Textiles  Plumbing  Sealants
• Antimicrobials
Carpet pads  Grouts  Countertops
• Heavy metals
Pigments and dyes  Fluorescent bulbs  Wood treatment  Solder

19. Avoiding Chemicals: “Red” Lists
• Living Building
Challenge Red List
• Perkins+Will
Precautionary List

20. Avoiding Chemicals: Research Tools
• MSDS
• Call manufacturer
• Request Health Product Declarations

21. Health Product Declaration

22. Relying on MSDS: Example

23. Avoiding Chemicals
• Effective at reducing
worst chemicals
• Often allows contractors
to use materials they’re
comfortable with, but
• Research-intensive
• Requires reading
between the lines
• Reverse-engineering a
healthy home?
Photo Credit: Lynn Friedman

24. Reframing the Question
Is it safe?
Is it necessary?
What is not found on a
red list?

25. What do we already know is safe?
• Wood
• Stone
• Lime plaster
• Cellulose insulation, cork
insulation
• Bolts, brackets, nails, screws
• Wool, Cotton, Hemp
• Natural oils
• Natural linoleum
• Sanded and unsanded grout
(without additives)
• Copper plumbing
Photo Credit: btbuonvino

26. Discovering Safer Products
• Local Natural
Building
Retailers
• GreenSpec
(subscription)
• Healthy
Building
Network
• Natural
builders and
designers Photo Credit: Jeremy Levine

27. Where can we have the biggest impact?
• Prioritize products that have a big
impact on IAQ
• Non-toxic finishes
• Plaster finish instead of painting
• No-seal counters (carnuba wax)
• Plant-based finishes from
companies like BioShield, Auro,
and Mythic Paint
• Safer Insulation
• Healthy flooring
• Formaldehyde free composite wood
Photo Credit: Peter Kirkeskov Rasmussen

28. Additional strategies for a healthy
home
• Furniture selection (indoor
and outdoor)
• Cleaning and maintenance
products
• Best practices for good
indoor air quality
Photo Credit: Susy Morris

29. PART III
Case studies

30. McGee Salvage House
Extensive use of low and nontoxic materials and finishes throughout
• Wood floors sealed with plant based resin from Bioshield
• Walls are skim coat plaster, except bathroom

31. McGee Salvage House
• Stone around the sink with a Carnuba Wax
• Solid wood counters with food grade oil
• Purebond plywood cabinets

32. McGee Salvage House
•Bathroom painted with Mythic Paint
• No sealants on stone or grout

33. McGee Salvage House
•All wood and steel beams with linseed oil from Bioshield

34. McGee Salvage House
57.2% higher than 2010 Title 24
• All blown in cellulose in walls and
ceilings
• No construction adhesive
• No foam sealing, only caulk used
for joint and penetration sealing
• Thermally isolated, insulated slab.
• Use EPS under slab, next time
will be foam glass

35. • Actual energy use is 11% lower than predicted for 2011.
• Use 10.89kBTUs/sq. ft./yr. site energy, exceeding the 2030 Challenge for 2015.
McGee Salvage House

36. •Scored 9.9 out of 10 for overall energy efficiency on the D.O.E.’s Energy Star
Home Energy Yardstick.
• In blower door testing, proved 72% tighter than the current ASHRAE goal of .
35ACH.
McGee Salvage House

37. McGee Salvage House
• 109 junked car roofs
• 40 Dodge Caravan side windows
•Salvaged Redwood siding and rails
•Waste bark from Poplars

38. McGee Salvage House

39. McGee Salvage House

40. Godager Wong Residence
No foam insulation
• Blown in Cellulose at walls and
ceiling
• 8” scoria rock under slab
• Thermal break at slab edges
• Double Pane Low E windows
and doors
• Passive solar orientation
• All electric
• Solar Hotwater

41. Godager Wong Residence
• Predicted performance: exceeds T 24 by 28%
• Actual performance: 9.9 out of 10 on EPA’s Energystar Yardstick

42. Sim Van Der Ryn/David Arkin: Real Goods Solar Living
High performance achieved without foam plastic insulation

43. Sim Van Der Ryn/David Arkin: Real Goods Solar Living
Virtually passive solar and no foam
•Strawbale walls with cement
stabilized earth
•Foam Glass under slab
•Using 1/6th
the energy of comparable
commercial buildings in California

44. Sim Van Der Ryn/David Arkin: Real Goods Solar Living
Passive solar design most
important to energy efficiency

45. “Dose makes the poison” is no longer always true
Timing is everything, with effects in minute quantities
Every decision can help change a child’s life

46. We can build homes
without toxics
Alternative products and
alternative designs are:
•Available
•Effective
•Sometimes cheaper
•Healthier
(for crews, occupants & planet)
Build healthy and get
involved in change

47. PART IV
Electromagnetic Fields (EMF) &
Radio Frequency (RF) Radiation

48. Electro Magnetic Spectrum
Human induced bandwidth...

49. Alternating (AC) & Health
Health Symptoms & Disease, known and
suspected:
• Tinnitus - ringing of the ears
• Anxiety & behavioral disorders
• Muscle tension
• Sleeping disorders
• Cancer
www.BioInitiativeReport.org

50. AC Electric Fields

51. AC Magnetic Fields
• Strength decreases
with distance from
source
• Magnetic fields
will penetrate
people and walls

52. AC Magnetic Fields

53. Wiring Spec & Verification
AC Magnetic Fields

54. Radio Frequency Radiation

55. Radio Frequency Radiation
• Cell Phone Antennas Radar

56. Thank You!
Cate Leger
www.greendwellings.com
Melanie Loftus and Cameron Das
Melanie@healthybuildingscience.com
Cameron@healthybuildingscience.com
415-785-7986