Full Disclosure Required: A Strategy to Prevent Asthma Through Building Product Selection

Abstract

Abstract

Asthma rates in the United States have been rising since at least 1980. Today, nearly 26 million people are affected by chronic asthma, including over eight million children. These rates are rising despite the proliferation of asthma control strategies, including indoor air quality (IAQ) programs. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported that the number of people diagnosed with asthma grew by 4.3 million during the last decade from 2001 to 2009. In response to this growing problem, health organizations have identified a number of chemicals that are known to cause the onset of asthma and are therefore labeled asthmagens. Since these chemicals are common ingredients of many interior finishes, like floors, carpets, and paints, it is possible to improve asthma prevention strategies by reducing or eliminating these chemicals from building materials. As asthma affects more people and we identify chemicals that cause asthma, it becomes increasingly clear that new strategies need to be considered, especially in the building industry, that focus on the prevention of asthma onset. Through this report the Healthy Building Network (HBN) examined this larger problem through a three-pronged approach, examining how pervasive asthmagen chemicals are in the built environment, what steps have been taken to address them, and what further actions are needed. HBN makes these recommendations: screen building product contents for asthmagens, continue research to understand fully asthma onset mechanisms and potential exposures to asthmagens from building materials, and modify indoor air quality certification and building rating systems to address asthma.