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A Publication of BuildingGreen, Inc. www.BuildingGreen.com Volume 25, Number 2 · February 2016 A Guide to Selecting Sustainable Textiles Textiles’ good looks hide an ugly environmental legacy, but there are five straightforward ways to make Non-woven fabrics, such as vinyl or responsible design choices. polyurethane, are made using melted plastic or films. By Brent Ehrlich Choosing a Textile: Textiles can make a space what it is. • performance standards and Through a carefully chosen combina- certifications used in the industry Natural vs. Synthetic tion of texture, color, and pattern, they There are a lot of good-looking In this article, we’ll take a look at create a feel of opulence, coziness, contract textiles available and almost textile types, including some of the or no-nonsense practicality. They as many applications for them. Both most sustainable options available, can encourage a spirit of play and natural and synthetic materials have where they are used, and why they creativity or one of contemplative their environmental pluses and may or may not work for your project. silence. Found as woven or non-­ minuses, so you have to choose wisely woven fabrics, contract textiles can to get the most-sustainable options for also improve acoustics, privacy, and What Is a Textile? your end use. daylighting. Textiles can be made We all want the best of both worlds— from natural materials both beauty and sustainability. But like wool, cotton, linen we have to face the reality that the (flax), hemp, and silk global textile industry has one of the or from synthetic worst environmental and social-equity­ materials, such as records of any industrial product. petroleum-based Selecting the most sustainable options polyester (PET), should be a priority; yet they are often nylon, polyethylene, chosen for visual features alone, even and vinyl. by the most sustainability-driven project teams. The process of turning these raw materials Finding healthier, lower-impact into textiles is com- alternatives that meet aesthetic needs plex and varies from and budget constraints is difficult, material to material, but it can be done. In our guidance on but woven fabrics textiles, you will learn rules of thumb all share some basic to manage the complexity of selecting steps. According to fabrics, which can include: Textiles: A Handbook for Designers, fibers go • the materials and chemicals that through the spinning go into fiber production and process, where they finished fabrics are turned into yarn, which is then sent • water pollution and other to a mill and turned Photo: Carnegie Fabrics life-cycle concerns into woven or knitted This solution-dyed woven upholstery is bleach cleanable, does not • the problematic chemistry of fabrics. The fabrics are require any surface coatings, and is available with a waterproof then finished and sold. backing, making it a suitable replacement for PVC in high-performance surface treatments applications.

Environmental Building News • Feburary 2016 Copyright © 2016 BuildingGreen, Inc. All rights reserved. synthetics with waterproof backings are sometimes substituted (see Textile Choices: Cleaner Options for Every Application).

Draperies and panel fabrics, on the other hand, have to meet specific fire codes, be resistant to UV light, and meet other desired performance requirements, such as light transmit- tance. Flame resistance is complex and a key driver in selecting the right drapery material and some panel cover­ings. Although natural fibers such as wool are inherently flame resistant, the weave and weight of the material can also impact flammability, so local codes may still require the material to pass flame tests, effectively requiring flame retardants.

Synthetic fibers, such as polyester,

Photo: Maharam do not catch on fire so much as melt, so they can meet stringent fire codes Climatex Lifecycle fabrics are 91% wool and 9% ramie and are certified Cradle to Cradle Gold. using an organophosphor flame retar- dant built into the fiber. While flame Although organic natural fabrics Matching textile and use retardants are not ideal (see Finding that use best industry practices for Furniture Without Toxic Flame raw materials and processing can be Using the right material for the right Retardants), using non-halogenated a good choice for the environment, application is key to choosing a sus- versions in applications where they they are not common in contract tainable textile: no option is “green” cannot wash or leach out is preferable work, where synthetic textiles are far if it has to be sent to a landfill after a to added surface treatments, where more popular. “Most [designers] in year of use because it couldn’t stand occupants could be directly exposed to the U.S. won’t go the natural fiber up to wear and tear. them (see more on fire codes inThree route,” according to Patty Grossman, Hazardous Textile Treatments and cofounder of Two Sisters Ecotextiles, For upholstery, an organic wool fabric How to Avoid Them). a 2008 BuildingGreen Top 10 product might be the best environmental choice and be durable enough for a Design choices to enhance winner. Her company promotes certi- sustainability fied organic, natural textiles that have chair in a low-traffic, high-end office, been responsibly processed, but she but it probably wouldn’t hold up in says the contract market has not fully a hospital waiting room or a restau- There is more to the story of sustain- embraced truly sustainable fabrics— rant, where spills, wear, and cleaning able fabrics and application. Hansen though, she concedes, “Synthetics are would stain and damage the fabric tries to stay away from solid colors a lot less expensive, and they tend to (see Four Credible Certifications That in woven fabrics because they don’t be bombproof.” Can Aid Contract Textile Selection hide soil well. “We are seeing more for more on durability and other and more clients trying to use a As a result of this indifference, performance criteria). non-­woven for the seat and a woven Grossman’s company has changed for the back (which could be a more its focus from contract to residential For these applications, “high-­ sustainable fabric),” she said. “That products, though it still does some performance” fabrics are used. allows more interest and variety on contract work. “Healthcare is a very challenging the back, but the seat can be some- environment for fabrics,” says Jean thing that can more easily be wiped But synthetic materials can make a Hansen, FIIDA, sustainable interiors down.” legitimate sustainability claim when manager at HDR Architecture. “You’ve used in the right application; they are got a lot of potential for soiling,” For Michael Tam, interior designer typically very durable, can resist stain- she says, so designers have to care- at Perkins+Will, selecting a sustain- ing without added fluoropolymers fully weigh functional performance able textile “is a balance between or antimicrobial coatings, and are against sourcing concerns. Vinyl is bringing in light, color, and design available with high recycled content. still popular in these applications, but and something that will hold up.” non-woven polyurethane and woven Selecting upholstery fabrics for the

Environmental Building News • Feburary 2016 p. 2 Summit Foundation headquarters reduce the need for it when clients in Textile Choices: Cleaner Options in Washington, D.C., which is pur- are intent on using it. for Every Application). suing the Living Building Challenge Materials Petal, was straightforward, 2. For natural fibers, choose organic. 5. Avoid surface treatments. When according to Tam. The LBC Red List Natural fabrics, such as wool or antimicrobials, fluorocarbon stain is similar to Perkins+Will’s Precau- hemp, are good choices where repellants, and flame retardants tionary List in that they both prohibit budget and performance needs are added as surface treatments halogenated flame retardants and can be met, but we recommend to fabrics, the chance of human perfluorochemicals­ (PFCs), he said, going a step further and choosing exposure to these hazards and by comparing textile labels, he those certified Cradle to Cradle increases. Surface treatments also was able to select wool and polyesters Gold or to the Global Organic have a higher risk of finding their that met durability and material Textile Standard (GOTS), when way into the environment. Fluoro- require­ments and did not have possible. Fabrics made with carbons and antimicrobials can be chemicals of concern. conventionally produced natural avoided through material choices fibers can still contain chemicals and maintenance protocols. Wool Chemicals on fabric are a small, albeit of concern or be made into fabric or recycled synthetic fabrics with important, part of its sustainability in ways that compromise their phosphates built into the fiber can picture, but some coatings and addi- environmental performance, but meet most fire codes. tives have questionable benefits and C2C and GOTS-certified textiles potentially serious consequences to look for best practices throughout human health. (More on this in Three the entire fabric life cycle. Unfor- Four Credible Certifications Hazardous Textile Treatments and tunately, there is not much organic to Aid Contract Textile How to Avoid Them.) cotton available, and we caution against using it in contract applica- Selection 5 Rules of Thumb for tions because it consumes a lot of water during production, absorbs Textile standards and Choosing Sustainable moisture, and lacks durability. certifications look at fiber Textiles production, life cycle, 3. For synthetic textiles, choose chemistry, and more, but in Textile products can’t be selected recycled content. Some biobased the U.S. they are just gaining based entirely on the fiber used. With plastics, such as biobased Xorel traction. natural materials, there are significant (which is used in place of PVC), can life-cycle differences between standard be a reasonable option. Other­wise, By Brent Ehrlich fibers and organic fibers processed using solution-dyed, recycled-­ with environmentally responsible With all the different fibers, chemicals, content polyethylene is the best dyes, and coatings used for textiles chemicals and practices. Virgin option. Recycled bottles (polyester) synthetic materials have much higher coming from all over the world, or carpet (nylon) undergo a com- assessing­ the sustainability of a embodied energy than recycled plas- plex process that transforms tics. Recycled polyester, for instance, textile is nearly impossible for most post-consumer waste into fiber that designers. requires 70% less energy to produce is basically indistinguishable from than virgin fiber, according to the virgin materials. The chemistry Many turn to certifications to simplify Natural Resources Defense Council. required to complete this transfor- the decision process, but which ones mation is not benign (more on this In some cases, natural fibers (namely should you trust? There are standards in the companion articles), but the cotton) can be worse for the environ- that look at functional performance, use of post-consumer plastic keeps ment than synthetics, with significant indoor air quality, organic fibers, fabric bottles and carpet waste out of water pollution from processing and production, life cycle, and chemistry landfills and the environment, and dyeing (see Textile Choices: Cleaner (see table). recycling reduces energy and fossil Options for Every Application). fuel consumption. The Association for Contract Textiles To improve the sustainability of Voluntary Performance Guidelines 4. Consider recyclability. Though contract textiles: are a good place to start when look- there is limited recycling of textiles, ing for performance metrics, but for 1. Avoid PVC. Vinyl can pose selecting textiles that don’t blend gauging environmental performance, environmental­ problems through- natural and synthetic fibers (e.g., the Global Organic Textile Standard, out its life cycle. Non-woven poly- wool and polyester) and those that Cradle to Cradle, the Facts label, and urethanes, polyethylene, and other don’t use one fiber and a disparate Oeko-Tex 100 are the most credible synthetic materials with moisture-­ backing (such as wool with an labels. resistant backings can replace PVC acrylic backing) will help the recy- materials, and design choices can clability of these materials at the They all have slightly different niches end of their lifespans (see sidebar in the market, and some are stricter

Environmental Building News • Feburary 2016 p. 3 • The Wyzenbeek test Environmental (ASTM D4157), whose test Certifications: mechanism uses a back- and-forth motion—called Are They Strict Enough? the “double rub”—and Textile certifications range from those is relevant to high-­ that look primarily at VOC emissions, performance applications such as Greenguard, to those that look • The Martindale test at the entire life cycle of the fabric, (ASTM D4966), which such as the Global Organic Textile uses a figure-eight motion Standard. and is relevant to lighter-­ Though meeting emissions criteria is use applications important since fabrics can be made For high-traffic appli- with a number of volatile chemicals, most fabrics certified to the multi-­ Photo: Designtex cations, 40,000 double Designtex Loop to Loop is made with 99% recycled content rubs is the standard. But attribute standards below must under- (87% post-consumer) and is certified Gold under the Facts label, designers often want go testing for formaldehyde and other which is based on NSF/ANSI 336-2011. the most durable mate- VOCs. rial available, specifying than others, but all can be valuable Global Organic Textile Standard products that meet 100,000 or even for helping select a textile with lower 200,000 double rubs. That level of environmental impacts. The Global Organic Textile Standard performance may be overkill for the (GOTS) is the strictest certification for job, though, and it can prejudice fabric fabrics. It applies to natural, organic Tracking Functional selection against natural materials textiles—not just the fibers. Some Performance because synthetic fabrics more easily synthetic fibers can be used, but to be exceed the ASTM standard. ACT even considered grade 1 (organic) requires Choosing the right textile for a job is states, “Double rubs exceeding 100,000 greater than 95% organic fibers; and critical for maximizing its lifespan are not meaningful in providing addi- for grade 2 (made with organic), the and thus shrinking its overall environ­ tional value in use and not predictive requirement is 70%. mental footprint, but it hasn’t always of significant extension of a fabric’s been easy for designers to get informa- service life.” GOTS requires that production be tion on a textile’s performance. monitored throughout the textile’s “Double rubs is a huge controversy,” life cycle, and it prohibits toxic heavy The Association for Contract Textiles said Jean Hansen, FIIDA, sustainable metals, formaldehyde, aromatic stepped in and developed its ACT interiors manager at HDR solvents, functional nanoparticles, Performance Guidelines, which pro- Architecture. “Manufacturers have genetically modified organisms vide voluntary performance metrics— clients who expect 100,000 double (GMO), chlorine bleach, and azo for colorfastness, flammability, phys- rubs, but it is not the be-all and end-all ical properties such as pilling and of how a fabric is going to look in the tear resistance, wet and dry crocking long run.” She claims that a fabric can ACT Performance Guidelines (transfer of dyes from a fabric to a “ugly out pretty fast even if it had surface), and abrasion—for a number high double rubs”—namely, pilling of fabrics and applications. It also or having its surface texture or look developed symbols for each that give change. designers a visual reference so they can quickly match a fabric to an end For Patty Grossman, founder of Two use. Sisters Ecotextiles, a company that specializes in high-end natural textiles, Though these guidelines aren’t inflated performance requirements associated with an overall third-party and high cost drove her company from certification, each performance metric contract work and into the residential is associated with an ASTM test that market. “We tried to go contract,” she is performed by an independent lab. said, but “design firms told us to come There can be controversy, however: back when we had 100,000 Wyzen- the abrasion metric in particular is beeks. It was just too expensive for a source of contention among those us.” Image: Association for Contract Textiles concerned with sustainability. There are two standards used for abrasion: The ACT Performance Guidelines provide at-a-glance information on textile properties like flammability, colorfastness, and abrasion resistance.

Environmental Building News • Feburary 2016 p. 4 dyes that release carcinogenic amine stewardship, and social responsibility. Oeko-Tex 100 and STeP compounds. It also has requirements Products are then rated Basic, Bronze, on worker rights. Silver, Gold, or Platinum. Oeko-Tex 100 tests for harmful chemicals on the finished textile and GOTS is a rigorous standard that The water-quality requirements and categorizes the product from Class results in only the highest environ- an extensive list of banned chemi- I (Products for Babies) to Class IV mental performers being certified. Two cals—which includes halogenated (Decoration Materials) based on the Sisters Ecotextiles is the only company flame retardants and other persistent amount of chemical residue in the offering GOTS-certified products in chemicals (see Cradle to Cradle Gains final product. the U.S., according to the GOTS web- Independence: A First Look at the 3.0 site (this company now sells primarily Launch)—make the C2C standard Though it does not address all to the residential market). particularly appropriate to textiles. So life-­cycle concerns—such as social far, nine textile companies have certi- equity, water consumption, or many Cradle to Cradle fied products, with only one reaching of the other problems found in the the Gold level, the Swiss company industry—Oeko-Tex uses independent Cradle to Cradle is a third-party, Rohner Textil AG. Rohner makes labs to test chemicals in materials at multi-attribute standard that reviews Climatex Lifecyle (made from wool rigorous levels, and the criteria are a product’s entire life cycle based and ramie) and Lifeguard FR products updated annually to comply with on material health, material reutili- (made from wool and regenerated European regulations. A companion zation, renewable energy use, water cellulose derived from beech wood). label (see below) fills in some of these gaps as well. According to the organi- Third-Party Textile Certifications zation, among the chemicals it tests for are certain azo dyes, phthalates, heavy STANDARD WHAT IT COVERS metals, pesticides, allergenic disperse Global Organic Textile Standard Through the life cycle of natural-fiber textiles: dyestuffs, formaldehyde, plasticizers, (GOTS) • organic textile compliance pentachlorophenol, and organotin • water consumption and pollution compounds. • chemicals of concern • social equity For synthetic fabrics, Oeko-Tex 100 is a • packaging and shipping good option, particularly if production facilities are certified to the organi- zation’s STeP standard, which covers Cradle to Cradle Through the life cycle of textiles: environmental performance across six • material health categories: • material reutilization • renewable energy and carbon • management of chemicals management • water stewardship • environmental performance • social fairness • environmental management Facts/NSF/ANSI 336-2011 During textile production: • social responsibility • fiber sourcing • material safety • quality management • water conservation and pollution • health and safety • energy consumption • air quality Facts: NSF/ANSI 336 • recycling practices Sustainability Assessment for • social accountability Commercial Furnishings Fabric

bluesign During textile production: • water consumption and pollution The Facts label is the third-party • energy consumption certification to NSF/ANSI 336-2011, • responsible sourcing a voluntary, multi-attribute fabric • chemicals of concern standard that addresses fiber • occupational safety sourcing, safety of materials, water conservation, water quality, energy, EU Ecolabel During & after textile production: air quality, recycling practices, and • use of chemicals of concern social accountability. Each category • air and water pollution has points available for meeting the • toxic residues in fibers criteria, up to a total of 100. Point • performance and durability

Environmental Building News • Feburary 2016 p. 5 Third-Party Textile Certifications(continued) Grossman is skeptical of the standard. In a response to BuildingGreen’s 2011 STANDARD WHAT IT COVERS article NSF 336 Sustainable Fabric Oeko-Tex 100 In finished textiles: Standard Now Final, she said, “The • illegal substances new NSF standard is anemic when • carcinogens compared to existing standards, • legally regulated substances such as Oeko Tex and GOTS, which • harmful (but not legally regulated) chemicals are both stunningly more strict.” • colorfastness Grossman is frustrated that the chem- • pH ical restrictions are not tighter, and by the pace of change in cleaning up the Sustainable Textile During textile production: textile industry in general. “There are Production (STeP) • chemicals and their use existing certifications which would • environmental protection represent giant strides,” she says. • environmental management “What American companies and • social responsibility specifiers do is take tiny baby steps • quality management and praise their efforts for doing so.” • health and safety Hoguet disagrees, saying, “The Greenguard/ VOC emissions of final textile prerequisites are pretty rigorous.” Greenguard Gold And getting certified to the Gold SCS Indoor Advantage Gold VOC emissions of final textile or Platinum level is difficult, she contends. “There was a little concern that we made it too hard.” The CDPH Standard Method V1.1/ CA VOC emissions of final textile challenges manufacturers faced Section 01350 tracking their material supply chain ACT Voluntary Functional performance of final textile contributed to Facts getting off to a Performance Guidelines slow start. Though development of

Source: BuildingGreen, Inc. the standard—by the Association for Contract Textiles, GreenBlue, NSF totals earn Compliant, Silver, Gold, or so the criteria change as the list is International, and other industry Platinum certification. updated. groups—began in 2006, the standard was not published until 2011, and For chemicals, there are also pre­ According to Nicole Munoz, SCS’s there was little initial buy-in from the requisite limits for metals in dyes and operations manager, “What is unique design community. But Hoguet sees pigments in the fabric; the product is about Facts is it looks at the entire momentum for the standard growing. tested to 1,000 parts per million (ppm) supply chain.” That can be a big Though designers are just becoming for these and other toxic substances, undertaking because there can be a lot aware of it, she said, “All the mills we including probable carcinogens, repro- of different processes and companies work with have been using it.” ductive toxicants, mammalian acute involved, including those that spin, toxicants, alkylphenol ethoxylates, dye, finish, and more. “You get a full As with all multi-attribute and persistent, bioaccumulative, toxic LCA picture whether you own those standards, there is the concern that chemicals (PBTs). operations or not.” manufacturers could game the system by focusing on one area, such as air Optional credits offer points for test- The standard does not actually quality, at the expense of another, ing for those and additional chemicals, provide the full picture, however, such as safety of materials. Hoguet such as aquatic toxicants and endo- because it leaves out sourcing of and others defend the rigor of NSF/ crine disruptors, to 100 ppm (0.01%). raw materials. According to Deidre ANSI 336, stating that the pre­ “The section on safety of materials Hoguet, who helped work on the requisites alone are difficult to meet. is one of the more stringent in the standard and is director of sustain- No products have been certified to the Facts standard,” said Tavio Benetti, ability and material exploration at Platinum level yet, so selecting those manager for the Facts program at Designtex, “It is looking at ingredients at the Gold level is a good option. SCS Global Services. “There is a list from fiber forward. It is not going Facts might not meet the sustainability of different metals, and limits for back to farm practices or raw material level of GOTS organic grade, but those levels in dyes and pigments,” extraction.” And those early impacts wider adoption of Facts is showing he said. The list references one estab- can differ greatly from raw material that the textile industry is starting to lished by Ecological and Toxicological to raw material—think wool versus take sustainability more seriously. Association of Dyes and Organic petrochemicals. Pigments Manufacturers (ETAD),

Environmental Building News • Feburary 2016 p. 6 Three Hazardous Textile Treatments and How to Avoid Them You can avoid the most toxic textile treatments with proper fabric selection and maintenance.

By Brent Ehrlich

A textile is only sustainable if it lasts, and designers looking to prolong the life of their furniture or drapery— whether to save the environment or simply to prevent callbacks—typically turn to surface treatments. This alchemy of chemical coatings promises to repel stains, stop fire, and prevent the spread of disease. It sounds too good to be true. It usually is.

Perfluorinated compounds (PFCs), antimicrobials, and halogenated flame retardants have been sold to the design community, sometimes under false pretenses and with aggressive marketing, for years. With limited infor­mation on the health and environmental­ impacts of these com- pounds, designers have been talked into coating our couches and chairs in toxic chemicals. In most cases, though, these chemicals can be avoided if you choose the right textile for the job.

Photo: Carnegie Fabrics Perfluorinated Compounds Art Form acoustical panels use Xorel textiles that do not require added flame retardants, antimicrobials, or PFCs. PFCs are the active ingredients in most stain-repellant textile treat- varieties (with six or fewer help improve performance. The ments. Liquids and oils bead up on carbon-­fluorine bonds) used in newer companies claim the technologies are these treated textiles so they can formulations of Scotchgard and by bound to the fabric, making them safe, be wiped away instead of soaking Crypton, GreenShield, NanoSphere, and NanoSphere was even developed through the fibers (see The High Price Nanotex, and others are considered using the European “bluesign” of Stain Resistance: Environmental less bio­accumuative and less toxic, textile standard. But many designers, Persistence). The added stain resis- but they are extremely persistent in organiza­tions, and certifications are tance keeps upholstery looking good, the environment, and there is growing taking a precautionary approach. PFCs extending its lifespan and reducing evidence that these compounds are were recently added to the Living the amount of cleaning chemicals not benign. Short-chain PFCs have Building Challenge Red List, meaning required—legitimate environmental been linked to endocrine disruption that no interior finishes with PFCs features. and nervous system damage. In 2015, can be used in these projects. Kaiser more than 200 scientists signed the Permanente also currently bans them But the use of PFCs is contentious. Madrid Statement asking that PFCs be for its projects. Long-chain PFCs (those with eight banned for all non-essential uses. or more carbon-fluorine bonds), Answering public demand, Crypton is such as the PFOA and PFOS used in To lower the quantity of PFCs now offering an alternative, PFC-free earlier formulations of Scotchgard, used in these treatments, Nanotex, stain repellent, C Zero; it only works are persistent, bioaccumulative toxic NanoSphere, and GreenShield com- on water-based stains, though, so it chemicals (PBTs). The short-chain bine nanotechnology and PFCs to will be less effective for those that are create small surface variations that oil-based.

Environmental Building News • Feburary 2016 p. 7 Antimicrobials resistant, and most others can pass the Maintenance Is Key required tests by using an underlay- Antimicrobials are commonly found ment, said Hansen. Ultimately, the longevity of upholstery on healthcare fabrics, yet this choice is in the hands of the maintenance is puzzling. The Centers for Disease For cities with tougher fire codes staff entrusted to clean it, and that is a Control (CDC) report Guidelines for that have to follow TB133 (a test that source of anxiety for many designers. Environmental Infection Control in requires burning an entire piece of Health-Care Facilities concludes that furniture), a textile choice is much In the quest to minimize their con- antimicrobial use in textiles does not harder. “Not only do you have to see cerns and provide a maintenance-free help control disease or infection (see if the material will upholster well, but textile, designers often choose anti­ Antimicrobial Chemicals in Buildings: what will happen when you add a fire microbials and PFCs, along with Hygiene or Harm?). This does not barrier cloth underneath,” she said. waterproof backings. The resulting stop companies from offering them, Plus “it has to look good in the long textile may perform well, but it is a though. Silver-ion compounds are run.” A piece of furniture can be made jumble of environmentally troubling used in Crypton and other textile without the flame retardants, but the chemicals. “Everyone in the U.S. treatments, and silane-based anti­ added cost and delays of testing for wants their fabric to be absolutely microbials, such as Bio-Am, are used TB133 often result in design teams bombproof, whether they need it or in Nanotex fabric treatments. defaulting to flame-retardant furniture not,” said Patty Grossman, cofounder that has already passed the test. of Two Sisters Ecotextiles. “And we The performance benefits of anti­ are killing the environment.” microbials have been exaggerated to Drapery fabrics are more complicated. the point that the National Advertising Not every flame retardant works Avoiding these treatments is not Division of the Better Business Bureau for every material, and codes can be easy for designers, however, and the advised Nanotex to stop making false onerous. Most states require testing choices are complex. Selecting an claims about their effectiveness. The to the National Fire Protection organic natural material is not ideal if CDC recommends proper cleaning Association’s NFPA 701 standards, but it does not last or if it requires a slurry and sanitizing procedures instead. some cities, such as Boston and New of chemical coatings to meet perfor- Though excess humidity and dirt York (and even individual theaters), mance needs. And clients often ask can be a recipe for mold and mildew, have their own codes. NFPA 701 uses for the treatments, so designers and proper cleaning and moisture control an open flame test, so flame retardants manufacturers have to play the role of in buildings should keep them in will be necessary for most fabrics, and educator. check. flame-retardant treatments have to Deidre Hoguet, director of sustain- last, since cleaning can remove them. ability and material exploration at With their apparent lack of effective- Because of this, fabrics are rated as Designtex, says her company does not ness combined with concerns over inherently flame retardant, durable automatically add PFCs to particular antibiotic resistance, bioaccumulation, flame retardant, semi-durable flame fabric types, though they are available and other health and environmental retardant, and non-durable flame as an option. Instead, she promotes impacts, many sustainability-focused retardant, based on how many wash- proper textile selection for its intended design professionals and organiza- ings will remove the treatments. Use use, stressing the importance of main- tions no longer use antimicrobials, an inherently flame-retardant fabric tenance. In applications where stains including Kaiser Permanente. “De- when possible. signers have been sold a bill of are possible and harsh cleaners are goods,” said Jean Hansen, FIIDA, Halogenated flame retardants, which required, “one of the best options is sustainable interiors manager at HDR are PBTs, are being phased out of solution-dyed nylon or polyester,” she Architecture. “I avoid antimicrobials textile production, often replaced says. In some cases, natural textiles, if possible, and if I had a choice of two by less-persistent organophosphors. such as wool, can be used. “You can fabrics that met all the criteria, I would These have their own health concerns, get them without finishes, but you choose the one without it.” though, having been linked to do have to follow a maintenance endocrine disruption and neural protocol.” toxicity. Organophosphors can be Flame Retardants But sticking to it is not easy. incorporated into polyesters, however, Manufacturers may explain clean- Due to 2015 changes in California in such as way that they become part ing protocols to the designer, who fire codes, which are followed by of the fiber and do not leach out. then has to tell the client, who has to most furniture manufacturers, most Though it’s not an ideal solution, communicate it to the maintenance upholstery no longer requires flame fabrics with this type of treatment can staff. If there are different fabrics— retardants (for an in-depth discussion meet Oeko-Tex 100 textile standards some solution-dyed and some with of California fire standard CA TB117- for environmental performance. 2013, see Finding Furniture Without PFCs—in the same facility, they may Toxic Flame Retardants). Some natural require different cleaners. Hansen textiles, such as wool, are naturally fire says, “The cleaning people are not

Environmental Building News • Feburary 2016 p. 8 going to know which are which.” Textile Choices: Cleaner cleaner production methods (see Improper cleaning, or none at all, can Options for Every next month’s product review for reduce a textile’s lifespan and can exemplary products), many of the remove flame retardants from drapery, Application raw material concerns are similar. For posing a fire risk (not to mention a each of the most significant life-­cycle potential code violation). Standard textile ingredients impacts of textile manufacturing, can have a toxic, devastating we’ve developed guidance on impact on our environment. How to Design Out environmentally responsible material Here are tips so your project choices that can meet most designers’ Surface Treatments can do better. needs. In the end, it’s possible to minimize By Brent Ehrlich the amount of training required for Synthetic Fibers: maintenance staff while still avoiding The global textile industry has a poor Textiles from Fossil Fuels textile coatings. environmental record. Synthetic fibers make up more than • Where staining is most likely, use • It takes 200 tons of water to 60% of global textile production, solution-dyed synthetic materials produce 1 ton of textiles, according according to the Food and Agriculture with recycled content. to the Natural Resources Defense Organization of the U.N. The most Council (NRDC). common synthetic contract textiles are • If spills are a concern, use a non­ made from polyester (polyethylene woven polyurethane or other PVC- • Textile dyeing and finishing are terephthalate, or PET), nylon, acrylics free material in place of woven responsible for 17% to 20% of the (used mainly in textile backings and textiles (most wovens require PFCs world’s industrial water pollution, outdoor furniture), polyurethanes, in these applications). Recycled the World Health Organization and PVC. These plastics are durable, synthetic materials with a water- estimates. resist stains and liquids, are not a food proof backing can also work. • Synthetic fiber production can source for insects, and are easy to • Avoid antimicrobials and flame-­ use vast amounts of energy. For clean. PET and nylon can also be made retardant treatments. If clients or example, it takes almost 16 kWh of from recycled content (see below). code officials insist on their use, energy per pound (125 MJ/kg) to PET and nylon are the two most com- select textiles that have these built make virgin polyester, according to mon synthetics fibers used in contract into the fibers. NRDC. textiles. Nylon is more durable and • If clients are intent on an added Though this data comes primarily dirt resistant than PET, but PET is dirt or stain repellant, select one from the apparel industry, and U.S. less expensive, and recycled-content engineered to use the lowest contract textile manufacturers have products are more readily available. possible concentration of PFCs for the textile and end use.

• Simplify textile choices across a project to minimize confusion about cleaning chemicals and protocols. Communicate proper cleaning procedures directly to the building owner or facilities crew, and encourage continuing education to maintain procedures over the life of the materials.

Photo: China Daily/Reuters

Dyes and other chemicals from textile production in the developing world, such as China’s Zhejiang province (shown here), pollute local water waterways and are a serious environmental problem.

Environmental Building News • Feburary 2016 p. 9 Environmental Comparison of Fiber Types After extensive research into the textile industry, the Natural Resources Defense Council launched its Clean by Design program in 2009. It laid out the best practices for the textile industry and then began applying them to textile factories in China. NRDC’s initiatives are being used to clean up textile production in facilities in Bangladesh and China. Though the initiative is primarily focused on the apparel industry, the raw materials and processing are the same as those for contract textiles. The following table summarizes some of NRDC’s findings and recommendations.

Polyester Recycled Nylon Tencel Wool Cotton Polyester (Lyocell) Land-Use Impact Broad impacts – Broad impacts FSC-certified Free-range sheep Uses prime, arable of global of global wood; graze on marginal land. Non-organic petrochemical petrochemical higher yield than land; crops cause industry industry cotton few impacts pollution from None for recycled fertilizer and content pesticides.

Use of Petroleum Bottles made from Petroleum Significant Very little used; Fertilizer and Nonrenewable petroleum chemical use in some pesticides pesticides used in Resources wood pulp non-organic cotton manufacture; solvents recaptured

Water to Produce Very low Significant water Very low, but Very high and Spin Fiber used in wood-pulp wastewater can production pollute waterways if not properly treated

Energy to Very high Less than Very low Low Produce and standard rayon Spin Fiber

Dyeing and High-temperature dyeing process, Significant use Intensive scouring Very high use of Finishing Impacts but shorter process with less chemical use than cotton of water, energy, process to remove water, energy, and and chemicals; lanolin; chemical- chemicals less than cotton intensive process to achieve washability

Other – Two methods of recycling, Much less Recycled wool of High pollution one with lower impact but inferior pollution than only slightly lower loading from fibers from standard quality than virgin dyeing; untreated rayon/viscose wool is available. effluent causes factories major damage.

Sources: Natural Resources Defense Council and BuildingGreen, Inc.

Though made from petrochemicals, They are far from environmentally Recycling these materials requires far these fibers typically have low preferred materials, however. fewer toxicants during production VOC emissions in their final form; Standard virgin PET manufacturing and generates less waste, but nylon 6 because of this, their longevity, and uses xylene (a reproductive toxicant) has a slight environmental advantage the availability of recycled content, and ethylene glycol (a carcinogen because it can be recycled into fiber they are often considered a relatively and developmental toxicant), with that’s identical to virgin material. sustainable material. antimony (a heavy metal and develop- mental toxicant) as a catalyst. Using recycled PET or PET that does not use antimony trioxide (currently Nylon is used in two forms—nylon there is no antimony-free recycled Synthetic textiles: 6 and nylon 6,6. Both require several content) is usually environmentally What to look for toxic intermediaries, including preferable to using nylon because PET Look for synthetic textiles that are vetted hydroxylamine (a carcinogen), is less energy-intensive to produce. cyclohexane (a persistent, bio­ through Oeko-Tex 100 or have achieved Other plastics a minimum of Gold certification through accumulative toxic chemical, or Cradle to Cradle or the NSF/ANSI 336 Facts PBT), 1,6-hexanediamine (a PBT and program. These may include antimony-free develop­mental and aquatic toxicant), Acrylics are far from ideal with respect polyesters and lower-­impact polyethylenes. and others. to health and sustainability. They are

Environmental Building News • Feburary 2016 p. 10 Recycling PET and Nylon Recycling nylon and PET (polyester) has many advantages. The recycling, used nylon 6 carpet fibers are subjected to heat, where process: they “depolymerize,” releasing caprolactum that is collected and turned back into fibers that are nearly equivalent in quality to the • keeps materials out of landfills and incinerators original material. • reduces the use of petrochemicals Nylon 6,6 is more difficult to recycle, and the process involves • takes less energy than producing virgin materials—about 70% mechanically separating fibers from backing and then pelletizing less energy for PET (according to NRDC), and about 30% less the nylon. Though less energy- and chemical-intensive than chemical energy for nylon 6 (according to the Shaw-sponsored LCA of depolymerization, this process does not turn the nylon back into the Evergreen nylon recycling facility) virgin-quality material. Though it’s generally a better option than virgin plastic, most post-­ Recycled PET (rPET) is a thermoplastic made primarily from post-­ consumer plastic used in fiber production isdowncycled , meaning consumer water bottles. The process is not always a green one, that recycling produces a lower-quality material that can’t be reused however, since the bottles are usually collected in a home country in the same way. There are few routes for recycling textiles at the end and then sent overseas for sorting, cleaning, and recycling. The water of their lifespan. used to clean the bottles may go untreated before entering waterways in some regions, and labels and other waste are thrown out. Once One reason for this is that most textiles are blends of different fibers sorted and cleaned, the bottles are melted, extruded, and processed and often have backings that are made from different materials, which into fibers and textiles, resulting in plastic that is good quality but not makes recycling almost impossible. quite as good as virgin materials. Nylon 6 is the exception: it’s recyclable in a closed-loop chemical process that was commercialized in the carpet industry. During

made primarily from acrylonitrile—a Though not as common as PET in and others—can have vastly different carcinogen, acute aquatic toxicant, contract textiles, polyethylene is used environmental impacts depending on and PBT—and they are generally as a PVC replacement in wallcoverings how the raw materials are raised and not available with post-consumer and other applications. UV-resistant, processed, all offer an environmental recycled content. Acrylics can provide bleach-cleanable, solution-dyed advantage over synthetic fibers at the important performance properties, polypropylene is available. end of their lifespan: they break down though. Solution-dyed versions of in the environment over time. Most acrylics are UV-resistant, so they are PVC is a durable, versatile synthetics instead last for hundreds found on awnings, some draperies, material that is popular in some of years, breaking into smaller and and outdoor furniture. And acrylic high-­­performance applications smaller pieces that disrupt ecosystems. applied in liquid form is used as a for upholstery and wallcoverings backing material. because it is easy to clean and resists Organic fibers and responsible harsh chemicals like bleach. But processing dramatically improve the Polypropylene and polyethylene toxicity concerns with its chlorine environmental performance of natural are considered two of the “cleaner” chemistry (vinyl chloride monomer materials. plastics, (see Scorecard Shows Some is a carcinogen and PBT), phthalate Plastics Are “Cleaner” Than Others) plasticizers that leach out during use Wool because they do not use any chemicals (many of which are reproductive tox- of high concern as primary chemicals. icants and obesogens), and end of life Wool is used in about 2% of overall (dioxins from chlorine) have landed global textile production, and it is the PVC on many prohibited chemical most common natural fiber used in Natural textiles: contract textiles, with natural per- What to look for lists (see The PVC Debate: A Fresh Look). formance characteristics that make Textiles labeled “organic” have organically it a good choice for upholstery and produced fibers, but after these fibers leave Polyurethane is often used in place draperies. Yarn made from wool the organic farm, there is no guarantee that of PVC. Though isocyanates used in fibers has natural elasticity that helps they aren’t infused with toxic chemicals— polyurethane production are asthma- except through a certification that looks at the fabric retain its shape and keeps the entire finished textile. gens, they are also low-emitting once the fibers from breaking, improving cured. “We try to use alternatives both looks and durability. Wool also Select organic fabrics with third-party to PVC,” said Jean Hansen, FIIDA, verification of chemical and environmental offers some water resistance, yet it performance through the Global Organic sustainable interiors manager at HDR absorbs and holds onto dyes well with Textile Standard (GOTS), which certifies the Architecture, and that can include entire fabric, not just the fiber. polyurethane. Products certified to Oeko-Tex 100 or NSF/ Wool: What to look for ANSI 336 Facts Gold or Platinum standards Greener Natural Fibers Organic wool fibers come from sheep raised are good alternatives. without chemical pesticides or overgrazing. Natural fibers have been used to For details on each of these certifications, Finished wool textiles certified to the Global see Four Credible Certifications That Can make cloth for millennia. Though Organic Textile Standard use best practices Aid Contract Textile Selection. each textile—cotton, wool, hemp, regarding water use and disposal.

Environmental Building News • Feburary 2016 p. 11 relatively few chemical additives. It is Cotton: What to look for fibers could still be made with added also naturally fire resistant. Using organically grown cotton eliminates toxic ingredients or unsustainable the use of the most toxic pesticides and processes. Unfortunately, wool has its share of herbicides while maintaining soil, water, issues. Wool textiles: and local ecosystems. GOTS certifica- What about bamboo? Bamboo fibers tion ensures the finished textile is also can be used for textiles, but most • are susceptible to destruction by produced in an environmentally sound “bamboo fabrics” are actually a type manner. insects of regenerated cellulose (a.k.a. rayon). • have to be cleaned carefully to It is also a thirsty crop, consuming avoid shrinkage up to 3,400 gallons of water to grow Regenerated Cellulose: • can absorb stains and be damaged one pound of cotton, NRDC claims Modifying Natural by some detergents and bleaches in its Clean by Design report. The Materials impacts can be significantly greater Its production process also has some in developing countries, where clean Rayon, or regenerated cellulose, textiles glaring environmental problems. water is scarce and workers typically have been made for more than 100 are not protected from chemical years and fall somewhere between Wool production is very labor-, exposure. natural and synthetic. They are soft water-, and chemical-intensive, and fabrics and are typically made from its wastewater releases can lead Genetically modified “Bt cotton,” wood cellulose using the viscose to eutrophication of waterways. engineered to produce an insecticide process: the cellulose is broken Most wool comes from sheep that that kills bollworm and other insects, down and processed using sodium are treated with pesticides to keep now dominates the cotton market. hydroxide and carbon disulfide (a parasites in check. Once the sheep are According to the International Cotton developmental toxicant). The fiber is shorn, the fleece has to be cleaned and Advisory Committee, 66% of the then solidified in a sulfuric acid bath scoured of dirt, oil, debris, and these cotton planted in 2012 worldwide and rinsed. Bamboo textiles are also pesticides. was genetically modified. More than typically made using this process. 90% of the cotton grown in the U.S. Water and alkali detergents remove is genetically modified, according to An environmentally preferred the lanolin from the wool, which is the U.S. Department of Agriculture regenerated cellulose fiber, Tencel, saved for other commercial uses, (USDA). The use of Bt cotton has been is made by the Austrian company and the wastewater has to be treated shown to increase yield and profits Lenzing Fibers using Forest and disposed of. According to data and reduce pesticide and fertilizer use. Stewardship Council-certified compiled by Two Sisters Ecotextiles, But in the last decade, insects have eucalyptus. Tencel is the only fiber a typical scouring plant can use more developed resistance to Bt crops. that uses the “lycocell” rayon produc- than 130,000 gallons of water a day. tion process, which is preferable to The 930,000 tons of sludge produced Other natural fibers standard rayon processing because it by the industry annually contains requires far-less-hazardous solvents insecticides and other chemicals, Silk is a small part of the commercial and recovers almost all of them in a making disposal difficult. textile market, but with a rich history closed-loop process that recycles the Cotton dating back thousands of years, it water. Tencel is more absorbent than deserves a mention. Made from the cotton, so its use would be limited in cocoons of domesticated silk worms, contract applications. Cotton is the most common fiber silk is labor- and resource-intensive. source in the world, with more Rayons: What to look for than 25 million tons of raw cotton Hemp and linen (from flax) are found produced each year. Commonly used Choose Tencel fiber, which offers the best primarily in mixed fibers in the con- environmental performance among rayons. for clothing, cotton is not as common tract textile market. Hemp used to be in contract textiles because it absorbs one of the most popular fibers in the liquids, but it can be mixed with other world and typically does not require After fiber production fibers and is often found on textile pesticides or herbicides. Though backings. rapidly renewable, the fiber from these Once fibers are made, they still have two plants is contained in the stem But conventionally grown cotton is to be processed, dyed, and turned and has to be mechanically separated, not a sustainable fiber. It accounts for into textiles—all processes that have a low-impact but expensive and about 8% to 10% of global pesticide a host of other environmental prob- time-consuming process. use and for 50% of pesticide use in lems (see sidebar, “Is Dyeing Killing developing countries, according to the Although hemp, flax, jute, ramie, and Us?”). Thousands of chemicals are World Wildlife Fund report Cleaner other organic fibers are low-impact used in textile production, including Greener Cotton. crops, finished fabrics from these pesticides, petroleum feedstocks, spinning oils for yarn production,

Environmental Building News • Feburary 2016 p. 12 Is Dyeing Killing Us? The dyeing process can happen at nearly any phase of textile others, such as benzadine-based dyes, are carcinogens and mutagens production, from fiber to fabric, with the timing differing from fiber to that break down into forms that can cause genetic damage. These fiber. There are three basic steps used for most fibers. have been banned in the European Union. Preparation: Different fibers require different processing, but the The list of chemicals used in the dyeing process is too long to cover preparation step typically cleans the fibers, improves dye penetration, here, with more than 10,000 different dyes and pigments in use and bleaches out impurities. as well as halogenated compounds, salts, and surfactants. Up to 200,000 tons of dye from the textile industry end up in the effluent Dyeing: Different types of dyes work for different fibers, and a wide from the dyeing process, according to Eco-Friendly Textile Dyeing variety of chemicals are used to improve dye penetration, make the and Finishing. In many countries, there is poor or no wastewater color more uniform, and improve colorfastness. management. Because these compounds are so stable, they tend to Finishing: Chemicals are often added to soften fabrics or make them stick around, changing the chemical and biological oxygen demands resistant to stains, static, or fire. (COD and BOD) of local watersheds. Dyeing can be done in a variety of ways: New, waterless dyeing processes are becoming available in limited capacity and should be encouraged, since they will reduce chemical • a batch process, where the material sits in a bath of chemical use as well as water and energy consumption. dyes, often at high heat and pressure When selecting textiles, chose only those that capture and reuse • a continuous process, where rolls of fabric pass through a series wastewater from the dyeing process, such as GOTS-certified products. of chemical solutions and dyes Better yet, for synthetic textiles, use those that are solution dyed: this • a combination of the two means the dyes are injected directly into the plastic. Solution dyeing According to the book Eco-Friendly Dyeing and Finishing, synthetic uses little energy and almost no water, and the resulting textiles are azo dyes make up around 60%­ to 70% of the dye industry. There UV-resistant. Solution-dyed textiles can limit design options, but it is are a wide variety of these compounds: some appear to be safe, but a tradeoff worth discussing with clients.

lubricants, solvents, detergents, breakthrough, unveiling its EcoBatt Disclosure ≠ sustainability bleach, heavy metals, enzymes, fiberglass insulation with Ecose softeners, plasticizers, fluorocarbon biobased binder. This was clearly the Spurred on by the momentum behind stain treatments, antimicrobials, and beginning of the end for formaldehyde the HPD, Declare, and LEED v4’s flame retardants. binders. Material Ingredients credit, we’re getting unprecedented transparency. Product certifications that focus But we couldn’t fully endorse Ecose at Manufacturers are revealing what’s on emissions, such as Greenguard, first because the company would not in their products and even making typically do not look at the reveal exactly what it was. Today, the changes to eliminate hazards along manufacturing chemistry. GOTS and company continues to be a sustain- the way. This initiative has become so Cradle to Cradle look at a fabric’s ability leader, including in the area of successful that it runs the risk of being entire life cycle—from raw material ingredient transparency. Knauf was mistaken for the whole story when it harvesting or extraction through one of the first manufacturers to adopt comes to Dream Materials. recycling or disposal—so select these the Declare label, which revealed its products when possible. binder as dextrose, or sugar. Minimizing hazardous ingredients is an essential aspect of improving That kind of challenge was on our the material supply chain, but if we minds when we worked with the FROM THE EDITOR do that at the expense of attending to Healthy Building Network and climate change, biodiversity loss, or The Big Materials Dream leading design firms to create the social-equity impacts, we’ve not made Health Product Declaration (HPD) meaningful progress. Needs to Include Climate a couple of years after Ecose came Change and More out. We’ve also partnered with the Materials that are used to build or International Living Future Institute refurbish a building represent a We’re finally getting vital to highlight Declare participants in large release of carbon dioxide to the toxicity information about our BuildingGreen Approved product atmosphere that can take decades of building products. But let’s guidance, among other things. super-efficient operations to recoup. remember that sustainability We don’t have that kind of time. is about more than avoiding The product transparency movement, health hazards. particularly with what it tells us about It’s not either/or material health, is just getting its feet. By Nadav Malin It remains a huge priority for the It troubles me when suppliers get the industry. So it’s a great time to bring it message that their customers only For years we advocated for into balance with climate change, bio- care about HPDs, then abandon their alternatives to formaldehyde-based diversity, and other more conventional broader life-cycle-based assessments binders in fiberglass insulation. green building issues. to focus only on health impacts. Then in 2008, Knauf made a huge

Environmental Building News • Feburary 2016 p. 13 again and address the full spectrum similar than so far presumed, accord- of opportunities for making products ing to a recent study, led by Charles that are better in every way. Weschler, Ph.D., of Rutgers University and published in Environmental Health Are you seeing similar evidence that Perspectives. And if those pathways we’re ready to move to a more holistic are accounted for, certain SVOCs may view of materials? quickly rise to a higher ranking of concern. Have you seen examples of unfortunate trade-offs, where carbon It’s not just dust footprint is compromised in the pursuit of health, or vice versa? Weschler told BuildingGreen that SVOCs may not immediately How do you think the design and vaporize, but many do evaporate construction industry should work to Nadav Malin slowly at room temperature. In encourage the best overall choices? fact, the volatility cutoff point that Please comment online. I understand the market dynamics distinguishes VOCs from SVOCs is behind the Cradle to Cradle Product somewhat arbitrary, according to the Innovation Institute’s (C2CPII) move U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. to peel off its Material Health assess­ NEWS ment and offer that as a separate “When a plasticizer or flame retardant offering from the full Cradle to Phthalates Absorbed More is added to a polymer, that compound Cradle certification. At the same time, Readily Than Previously is not bonded to the polymer,” this opens the door to single-track Thought explains Weschler. “Over time, it will optimization, which may run counter desorb from that polymer, convert to creating products that are the SVOCs like phthalates are to a gas stage, and adsorb onto other best we can make them from a more released into the air, surfaces.” holistic view. according to a new study, so This reinforces why dust is a concern, Dreaming (and focusing) you’re breathing and as it becomes a vehicle for the com- even bigger absorbing them, not just pounds to build up in the environ- eating them. ment. However, Weschler emphasizes So I was thrilled to hear from C2CPII’s By Candace Pearson that SVOCs are also present in the air, Stacy Glass that the program is work- just like VOCs. ing on staying true to its original, Conventional wisdom has had us This presents two pathways people broad vision, with the theme “healthy focusing on volatile organic com- don’t usually associate with SVOCs: materials, perpetually cycled.” pounds (VOCs) as a top priority for indoor air quality. Designers who inhalation and uptake through the Google’s internal Portico Tool is also know about them at all probably con- skin directly from the air (called “trans- focused narrowly on health, but the sider semi-volatile organic compounds dermal” uptake), both of which company has signaled an interest in (SVOCs) and non-volatile compounds Weschler and his colleagues argue expanding its view by helping fund as lower priorities. are significant modes for how these the Quartz Project. compounds enter our bodies. That’s because VOCs can instantly The proof is in the chamber And I’ve been impressed with the vaporize under normal indoor con- Business and Institutional Furniture ditions; they can have an immediate Manufacturers Association’s efforts to and noticeable impact on anyone who The hypothesis was tested by an pull all these considerations together breathes. SVOCs have generally been experiment focusing on diethyl into one coherent label (with recent lumped together with non-volatile phthalate (DEP) and di(n-butyl) updates to its multi-attribute level organic compounds and thought phthalate (DnBP), two SVOCs that certification) that covers health, mostly to represent an exposure risk if are used in personal care products sustainability, and resilience. rubbed onto the skin or when released and common adhesives. Six men were from finishes by wear and adsorbed exposed to the compounds in a cham- It’s been helpful for a time to narrow onto dust. Parents are told to vacuum ber where phthalate-spiked paint was our focus and get traction on the regularly to crawling babies, but the gradually evaporating. health front, and we certainly don’t scenarios for this type of exposure On half of the experiment days, the want to slow the amazing progress have seemed more limited. that’s being made in that arena. But subjects wore hoods that provided I’m really encouraged by the signs that However, the exposure pathways filtered, compressed air while their we’re ready to open that view wider of VOCs and SVOCs might be more skin was exposed. On the other half,

Environmental Building News • Feburary 2016 p. 14 PRODUCT NEWS & REVIEWS Rubber Flooring: A Good Use for Old Car Tires? Rubber flooring is getting greener overall, but tire-derived products are still an iffy proposition.

By Paula Melton

Note: This is part one of a two-part series on finding a positive use for scrap tires. Watch for our follow-up guidance on using crumb rubber for exterior products.

The media exploded last year with panic about the use of crumb rubber as infill in artificial turf fields, which are coming under renewed scrutiny due to hints of a link (as yet anecdotal) between these fields and incidents Photo: Kamil. License: CC BY 4.0. of cancer among young soccer goalies. Few reports have mentioned, Di-n-butyl phthalate’s structure and light weight enable it to quickly pass into our bodies from the air. though, that this very same material is the main ingredient in certain they breathed the phthalate-laden air The transdermal pathway, however, resilient flooring products—known as well. is often completely ignored, even as tire-derived­ rubber flooring—that are though “modeling predicting the popular in schools and hospitals. Urine samples showed individual’s permeability from air to skin to blood phthalate levels jumped significantly suggests that this pathway is an order We wanted to know: in both conditions. In addition, expo- of magnitude higher than inhalation,” sure levels approximately doubled says Weschler. Given the results with • Do unique toxicity issues come into from hood days to non-hood days DEP and DnBP—and the fact that play when crumb rubber is used in (when the inhalation pathway was there are other low-molecular-weight an interior product rather than on a added on top of the transdermal path- SVOCs that could be absorbed by the playground or playing field? way), suggesting to researchers that skin directly from the air—risk assess- absorbing the compounds from the air ments should start accounting for this • Might the most vulnerable building through the skin introduced roughly pathway, argues Weschler. occupants, including children and the same level of phthalates as inhala- hospital patients, be exposed to tion. At peak levels, concentrations of “Not all SVOCs go through the skin lead or other toxic chemicals due these compounds in the men’s urine quickly, but if the organic compound to the use of crumb rubber in tire-­ were more than two orders of magni- has the right physical properties, it derived interior products? tude higher than background levels can. And that happens to be the case determined before the study. for these two phthalates.” The answer to the first question is definitely yes, based on our research, A missing piece in risk More on phthalates and while the answer to the second is less assessments potential health impacts clear. Is rubber ever green? The inhalation pathway of SVOCs Phthalates in the Womb Linked to is sometimes accounted for in risk Asthma-Prone Kids assessments, according to Weschler, Rubber flooring, regardless of where but it can be underestimated. A recent, Report Warns of Asthma-Causing the rubber comes from, has major unrelated study found that chlorinated Chemicals in Building Products sustainability advantages (see Two organophosphate flame retardants (the Manufacturers Offer Greener Rubber Phthalate Levels Connected to ones that have been used to replace Flooring). But rubber itself has issues. Reproductive Troubles PBDEs, polybrominated diphenyl And it’s worth asking whether the ethers) are released into the air at tradeoffs make sense, suggests Jay much higher levels than previously Bolus, president of certification thought. services at McDonough Braungart

Environmental Building News • Feburary 2016 p. 15 Study Report, published in 2010 by the BZT is a respiratory irritant and skin California Department of Resources sensitizer, and it may be associated Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle). with bladder cancer among rubber The research team tested multiple workers, according to a 2011 study flooring samples, focusing on tire-­ designed to set exposure limits for derived products but also including BZT found in crumb rubber. The some virgin-rubber types. They found authors of this BZT study made ten- that a few product samples of both tative recommendations, including a types had high emissions, with some chronic exposure limit of 18 μg/m3.

Photo: Ildar Sagdejev. License: CC BY-SA 4.0. tire-derived indoor/outdoor products standing out as “super-emitters.” Can a rubber flooring product meet Scrap tires are a problematic and potentially that limit? dangerous waste product, but is making them into Most of the products tested for this school and hospital floors any better? CalRecycle study (with notable The CalRecycle report models air exceptions) did not emit elevated concentrations for different interior Design Chemistry, a consultant and levels of VOCs that have known uses, finding that the highest tire-­ assessor for the multi-attribute Cradle health concerns. Many of the samples derived emitter of benzothiazole to Cradle (C2C) product certification. did, however, emit moderate to high would cause BZT air concentrations of 973 μg/m3 in a daycare setting and “Rubber chemistry in general can be levels of such chemicals, and several 371 μg/m3 in a classroom. For the a little bit complicated,” Bolus says. emitted multiple volatile chemicals highest BZT emitter among virgin “You’re trying to take a molecule that could not be identified—a rubber, concentrations would reach or series of molecules and put them concerning pattern, according to 4,300 μg/m3 in a daycare setting and into a three-dimensional network.” researchers, since it is impossible 1,640 μg/m3 in a classroom. This crosslinking process, called to study health impacts or limit emissions of these chemicals without vulcanization, is what makes rubber These are sky-high compared to knowing what they are. rubber, “giving it that elastic property the tentatively recommended max- that everybody likes,” he notes. 3 Additionally, many samples had high imum of 18 μg/m , but the lowest But vulcanization can also involve total VOC (TVOC) emissions. These emitters also exceed that limit. The “chemicals that a lot of times are toxic products tended to continue emitting best tire-­derived product produced or problematic”—not to mention 3 at high to moderate levels—and not concentrations of 159 μg/m in a day- the fact that 1,3 butadiane (a known 3 always on a downward curve—over care and 62 μg/m in a classroom, and carcinogen) and styrene (a likely the entire 90-day testing period. The carcinogen) are the basic building researchers made several recom- blocks of most synthetic rubber. Vulcanization: Making Rubber mendations based on their results, Rubbery What’s more, since the resulting including the suggestion that all polymer can’t be melted down, “it is interior rubber flooring should have Vulcanization is a chemical curing process that takes sticky, thermally sensitive rubber hard to do anything with at the end third-party verification of low TVOC and polymerizes it, making it elastic and emissions. This could reduce exposure of use,” Bolus points out. C2C advo- thermally stable. Sulfur is the chemical cates for “safe materials, perpetually to unknown volatile chemicals and most commonly used to vulcanize rubber, recycled,” he says, and like many also protect building occupants from whether it’s natural latex or synthetic other thermoset polymers, rubber the potentially harmful effects of styrene-butadiene­ rubber. “fails on both of those.” (A handful simultaneous exposure to multiple Other chemicals are typically added of rubber products have achieved chemicals (see How “Safe” Chemicals along with the main vulcanizing agent lower levels of C2C certification, he Could Team Up to Cause Cancer). to affect the process and the perfor- notes, because the system encourages mance properties of the material. In tire Why FloorScore certification is rubber, these chemicals may include gradual optimization over time.) not enough accelerants (like 2-MBZT), retardants (like What about indoor emissions? n-Cyclohexylthiophthalimide), plasticizers (phthalates and aromatic oils), antioxidants One compound that shows up in VOC (like akylphenols), and more. Rubber’s toxic chemistry doesn’t testing of rubber flooring (but not in other resilient flooring products) Tire manufacturers design their chemical necessarily stop at the factory gate. processes to gain a competitive edge in VOC emissions from rubber floor- is benzothiazole, or BZT. This is the marketplace, and they’re not anxious ing can be all over the map—even in presumably due to the common use of to release information about what goes different production lots of the same 2-MBZT (2-mercaptobenzothiazole) as into their fine-tuned vulcanization recipes. product—according to the most-­ an accelerator during vulcanization. Because of this—as well as the fact that tires thorough treatment of the subject to In the CalRecycle report, emissions of can pick up lead and other contaminants BZT from tire-derived products were off roadways during use—there is no good date, the Tire-Derived Rubber Flooring way to know what chemicals may be found Chemical Emissions Study: Laboratory high, but they were even higher in the in a given tire. virgin products (see chart).

Environmental Building News • Feburary 2016 p. 16 the best virgin product 466 μg/m3 and Neither uses tires as a feedstock, The HBN report raises concerns 181 μg/m3. though Steady says there is nothing about aromatic process oils, lead, and about the Greenguard standard carbon black nanoparticles. Although Unfortunately, there is no way for a that would automatically exclude there’s no evidence that any of these purchaser to know whether a given tire-­derived products. “It’s all about substances are released from flooring, production lot of rubber flooring emits whether you meet emissions criteria.” “abrasion during any floor’s service high levels of BZT or other VOCs that life routinely releases top layer don’t have established exposure limits. Getting the lead out ingredients as particulates,” creating That’s because common indoor air pathways of potential exposure that quality certifications like FloorScore In addition to VOC emissions, some haven’t been looked into by the don’t measure it and, like most labels, health advocates also worry about industry, the report claims. FloorScore also doesn’t set a TVOC hazardous semi-volatile organic limit. compounds (SVOCs), heavy metals, Many experts we spoke with did not and other substances in interior tire-­ share these specific concerns, stating Greenguard does, however. “We see derived products. that the likelihood of exposure to really good low-emitting tire-rubber non-volatile compounds ought to be flooring,” says Scott Steady, prod- “There’s a real concern that tire-­ very low once crumb rubber is bound uct manager at UL, which owns the derived flooring has taken a pretty in a polymer matrix. However, the Greenguard label. Despite this, rubber strong market niche in schools, where extreme toxicity of lead has gotten flooring seldom achieves Greenguard there’s a lot more exposure to children the attention of at least one manufac- certification—let alone Greenguard to contaminants in the flooring,” turer. Ecore, a major manufacturer Gold. “Usually it’s the total VOC cap argues Jim Vallette, senior researcher of tire-derived flooring, says it has that’s getting them,” Steady says. He at the Healthy Building Network and “adopted and implemented the recom- suspects the BZT—but, he adds, “You author of HBN’s 2013 report Avoiding mendations from the HBN study.” In can get rid of that with processing Contaminants in Tire-Derived Flooring. an email statement to BuildingGreen, or with top-coating.” According to “Among building materials, flooring Ecore claimed it now performs daily Steady, thicker rubber products have is probably the closest interface that testing for heavy metals using EN an even harder time meeting the children have. It’s an underexplored 71-3—a European standard for toy TVOC requirements of Greenguard. area of exposure.” safety—as its guide. However, two manufacturers have achieved Greenguard Gold.

High Emissions from All Types of Rubber Flooring

Source: Tire-Derived Rubber Flooring Chemical Emissions Study: Laboratory Study Report, published in 2010 by CalRecycle

This chart shows three key metrics associated with rubber flooring emissions: benzothiazole, unidentified VOCs, and total VOCs. Because there are no established health limits for any of these metrics, manufacturers often refer to excessive VOC emissions from their flooring as a “nuisance odor.” In reality, the possible health effects are simply unknown.

Environmental Building News • Feburary 2016 p. 17 Daily testing is important because A statement on the Ecore website have health effects. Choose rubber there’s no way of knowing which tires asserts, “It is unequivocal that flooring with Greenguard Gold may have high lead content. “It can exposure to crumb rubber products certification. come from either additives from older poses NO risk to adults, children, or tires or from picking up lead during pets.” Although many studies have 2. If Greenguard-certified products their service life,” explains Vallette. suggested that exposure to crumb aren’t a good fit for the project, Though it is not consistently found in rubber under particular conditions FloorScore certification should tires, Vallette claims excessive levels does not appear to cause elevated risk be an absolute minimum require- of lead are detected “more often than of acute or chronic harm, the level of ment. However, FloorScore will once in a hundred” in scrap tires. certainty apparent in Ecore’s state- not limit total VOC emissions, ments is not backed up by science. and occupants may till be affected In addition to testing for heavy metals, by BZT emissions, high overall Ecore also maintains that its floor- In fact, notes Michael Peterson, a emissions, or combined emissions ing products avoid odor problems toxicologist and scientific advisor to of multiple VOCs. through careful sourcing of its rubber the Recycled Rubber Council, “In my feedstocks, only accepting rubber statements, I usually talk about the 3. The vulcanization process may that is cured with peroxide rather best available evidence showing there introduce toxic or unknown than sulfur. BuildingGreen’s research is not a concern for health effects.” plasticizers, accelerants, suggests that peroxide curing does He adds, “We would love to deal in antioxidants, and other additives. not involve 2-MBZT, likely preventing certainties,” but it is logically impos- Request ingredient disclosure to the high BZT emissions associated sible to “prove a negative”—e.g., that 100 parts per million. with many rubber products. Peroxide any substance presents zero risk to a How to select rubber flooring curing uses other accelerants, population. derived from tires however. That said, Peterson adds, “Looking at 1. Because of the sourcing issues Overstating the safety? the data, there really isn’t a concern. associated with scrap tires, we have You hear often that there are areas of never recommended tire-derived HBN released its report, and has uncertainty, things that haven’t been flooring products for interiors. We continued to analyze a variety of looked at. [Crumb rubber] has been a will maintain this recommendation recycled feedstocks, to engage with really well studied product, and there pending development of a manufacturers. “Manufacturers are is not a reason for concern from a regulatory or third-party voluntary our primary audience,” Vallette notes. chemical exposure perspective.” standard for managing the heavy “They want green products. There is metal content of tire-derived mutual interest.” Not everyone is convinced, however, including Jay Bolus. “I get it: we’re products. Ecore’s practice of testing for lead trying to make the best out of a bad 2. If your project does select daily is a major step forward and to situation. Tires are a problem,” he tire-­derived flooring for an be commended. However, both Ecore says. “They haven’t been designed interior application, FloorScore and the Recycled Rubber Council— for recycling or best use; they are certification should be a minimum which also sent BuildingGreen an designed for unique performance requirement, though Greenguard email statement—routinely overstate properties. That doesn’t mean we Gold certification is preferred. the safety of crumb rubber. should try to invent uses for them.” (However, no manufacturers of “Recycled rubber is safe. When it is BuildingGreen’s recommendations tire-derived flooring currently produced, this rubber goes through for selecting rubber flooring carry Greenguard certification.) a process that renders any harmful 3. Also request verification that the chemicals inert,” says the statement After thorough research and manufacturer has policies in place from the Recycled Rubber Council. consultation with experts, including to control its sources of rubber and Asked for further details, we received manufacturers, BuildingGreen to test for heavy metals. the answer that the process referred has developed the following to was vulcanization. There was no recommendations. acknowledgment from the trade group that vulcanization is the very How to select rubber flooring thing that introduces most of the not derived from tires chemicals—accelerants, antioxidants, 1. Most indoor air quality plasticizers, and others, many of certifications limit VOC emissions which are part of a “secret recipe” of individual compounds, a used by tire manufacturers to achieve practice that misses BZT and other performance properties that are im- rubber-specific chemicals that may portant to safety and durability.

Environmental Building News • Feburary 2016 p. 18 Two Manufacturers Offer Greener Rubber Flooring Is rubber flooring sustainable? The jury is still out on most products, but nora and Artigo offer the best on the market.

By Paula Melton

Rubber flooring has attractive sus- tainability features, yet the chemistry of rubber manufacturing can be problematic. We took a hard look at the rubber flooring industry and found two manufacturers whose products stand out as the greenest in this tricky category. Green attributes of rubber flooring Photo: nora systems, Inc.

Rubber is comfortable to stand and This Kaiser Permanente project includes rubber flooring by nora. walk on—crucial for nurses, for example, who stay on their feet all this synthetic rubber a known human Balancing durability and toxicity through a shift. It also can reduce carcinogen, and styrene is a likely injury when patients or children fall. occupational carcinogen. That said, many building materials come with life-cycle issues like these. These products are unusually dura- “Secret recipes” are common in Although we would like more trans- ble even in heavy-duty applications, rubber production, as manufacturers parency about potential hazards standing up to heavy hospital carts add substances during the cross- and exposure risks, we typically and thousands of kids in the school linking process (called vulcanization) give products a break if hazardous hallway at a time. Rubber surfaces that contribute to their particular manufacturing chemistries contribute have minimal maintenance require- brand’s quality and high perfor- to high performance, durability, or low ments compared with alternatives; mance. Some flooring products bind maintenance during use: sometimes ongoing maintenance of other types recycled crumb rubber in a poly­ these tradeoffs seem worth it. (Exterior of resilient flooring can compromise urethane matrix, potentially exposing coatings are a good example, and indoor air quality. workers to a common and potent though we tend to like wood products, asthmagen (isocyanates—see OSHA the logging industry is the deadliest in These flooring products also Puts the Squeeze on Asthma-Causing the U.S. for its workers.) With reports contribute to better acoustics than Polyurethanes). of high-quality rubber flooring last- many alternatives, and the aesthetic ing for decades in heavily trafficked palette can be wide ranging, with both The National Institute for spaces, we can perhaps make bright and neutral colors available, Occupational Safety and Health allowances for a toxic manufacturing and geometric or biophilic patterns (NIOSH) released a report in 1993 process. possible. concluding that rubber-industry workers in the U.S. were at excessive But unlike exterior paint, rubber Rubber flooring can also have high risk for death from “bladder, stomach, flooring is an interior product recycled content from a variety of lung, hematopoietic, and other that’s popular in spaces designed post-consumer sources, from athletic cancers,” and for chronic health for the most vulnerable building shoes to scrap tires. Tire-derived problems that included respiratory occupants—school children and products divert large amounts of sensitivities, dermal sensitivities, and hospital patients—and some of the a problematic waste product from reproductive problems. Although chemicals used in rubber processing landfills (but see our analysis of this NIOSH recommended further study, are VOCs that could be emitted from particular feedstock). there has been no apparent action the finished product. Normally, we’d taken by the federal government or by Problematic life cycle look to a stringent certification like industry in the interim that’s specific FloorScore to avoid those emissions, to protecting rubber workers (though Rubber flooring tiles and sheets are but certain VOCs associated with exposure to styrene and 1,3 butadiene rubber manufacturing (particularly typically made with styrene butadiene is regulated in any U.S. manufacturing rubber; the 1,3 butadiene used to make BZT, or benzothiazole) aren’t bench- facility). marked by FloorScore, so it’s not an

Environmental Building News • Feburary 2016 p. 19 adequate way to avoid these emissions only VOC emissions but also fire resis- incorporate natural latex, which (see Rubber Flooring: A Good Use tance, he claims. Additionally, “some reduces the need for the toxic styrene for Old Car Tires?). Other ingredients technical features of the finished [tire] and 1,3 butadiene used to make could include semi-volatile organic product will diminish the performance synthetic rubber. But natural rubber compounds (SVOCs), namely characteristics of our product.” doesn’t hold up as well against wear phthalate plasticizers. Given potential from heavy equipment like forklifts, exposure issues for vulnerable build- Macrury provided a list of its quality-­ Fudge explains. Although process- ing occupants, it’s hard to make a control procedures, such as “full ing should denature the proteins case that rubber flooring is inherently traceability of every single material,” in natural latex, its presence may green. in-house chemical testing of raw also be a concern for some building materials, and a slate of indoor air owners due to possible allergies. But two manufacturers—nora and quality certifications the flooring has BuildingGreen recommends product Artigo—have thought through some in addition to Greenguard Gold. These lines that incorporate the highest of these issues and are producing include the stringent German govern- percentage of natural latex that’s best-in-class products that meet our ment standard, Blue Angel. Products feasible for the project. BuildingGreen Approved product from nora also comply with Blue guidance. Angel. Artigo touts other environmental achievements, such as its use of Low indoor emissions Both Artigo and nora claim they use renewable energy for manufacturing, no phthalates in production. Though and EPDs are available for several The key green feature of these its products are not made with products, making these floors poten- products is their certification to polyurethane in the primary material, tial contributors to LEED v4 Materials Greenguard Gold. We recommend Artigo applies a polyurethane wear & Resources points. Because of the that any rubber flooring meet the layer, according to its UL-verified Greenguard Gold certification, both strict total VOC (TVOC) emissions of environmental product declaration brands should contribute to credits for this UL-owned standard. The TVOC (EPD). low-emitting materials in both LEED benchmark is currently the best way to 2009 and LEED v4 (where TVOC Carol Fudge, marketing research guarantee low BZT emissions. disclosure is newly required). specialist at nora, says her company Although many VOCs found in other does not add a wear layer and that Nora says it provides LEED types of flooring have established nora products don’t require finishes v4-compliant EPDs to project teams health-based exposure limits in place, when installed. upon request. BZT does not. Because of the absence of an exposure limit, manufacturers Several nora products (the noraplan Durability and recyclability often make statements suggesting degree, eco, environcare, sentica, that BZT emissions and other VOC unita, and value product lines) Both nora and Artigo meet or exceed emissions not limited by testing and one Artigo product (Massetto) all the relevant ASTM performance protocols are just a “nuisance odor.” In fact, there are hints that BZT has health effects. Artigo and nora are the only brands that currently have Greenguard Gold certification. Other chemicals of concern

These brands do not use scrap tires in their process. Rubber flooring made with crumb rubber binds the crumbs in a polymer matrix, usually polyurethane. But nora and Artigo are completely different. In these prod- ucts, the rubber itself provides the polymer matrix, which binds together pigmented mineral content.

“We don’t use [tires] for health concerns,” says Scott Macrury, director of sales and technical services at Mondo, the U.S. distributor of Artigo Photo: Mondo/Artigo products. The concerns include not Artigo touts environmental features like renewable energy used for production.

Environmental Building News • Feburary 2016 p. 20 standards for resilient flooring, industry. Some steps they could take according to the companies. The to help this happen: manufacturers also cite anecdotal evidence of long-term performance. • Measure and publicly disclose BZT emissions of their flooring “Durability for us is measured in the products. longevity of the references that we have in place that date back almost 50 • Advocate for research on the years in the Milan subway station,” possible health effects of BZT, says Macrury. “That product is still and for the establishment of safe Photo: Gunnar Grimnes. License: CC BY 2.0. in use.” He also claims the company exposure limits. has never seen its flooring replaced The PFC coating on this white tablecloth • Release Health Product because of wear. “They may not causes wine to bead instead of staining the Declarations (HPDs) with fabric. Treatments like these come with a high like the aesthetic any longer, but the disclosure to 100 parts per million. environmental price tag, though. product will still be in outstanding (Mondo told BuildingGreen it shape.” is already developing HPDs for on a surface, an excellent property with many uses. But both are “long- Adds Fudge, “We have installations Artigo products.) chain” PFCs, with eight or more all over the world that are over 25 For more information carbon-fluorine (C8) bonds, and they years old.” She notes one installa- have been associated with health tion in Frankfurt Airport, “one of the Nora concerns ranging from testicular most heavily trafficked airports in the nora.com/us and thyroid cancers to obesity. They world, where nora flooring has been are considered persistent, bio­ installed and maintained with no Mondo Contract Flooring accumulative, toxic chemicals (PBTs), coatings for over 40 years.” mondocontractflooring.com and PFOS is listed as a Persistent Unfortunately, once rubber flooring Organic Pollutant (POP) by the is replaced, the material cannot be Stockholm Convention; PFOA is under recycled because rubber is a thermoset BACKPAGE PRIMER review. resin (which can’t be melted down and Though long-chain PFCs are no longer re-formed) rather than a thermoplastic The High Price of Stain used, chemically similar compounds (which can be recycled multiple times Resistance: Environmental have replaced them as surface into the same product). Persistence treatments on textiles and carpets. These second-generation, “short- Though it doesn’t have a program Perfluorochemicals increase for post-consumer flooring, “we chain” PFCs have six or fewer carbon-­ product longevity. Though fluorine bonds and are considered have sample and construction waste these PFCs don’t last forever take-back programs,” says Fudge. to be less toxic and somewhat less on our textiles and carpets, bioaccumulative than PFOA or PFOS. Samples can be mailed back to the they do stick around in our company free of charge, and they are bodies. Bioaccumulation risk is presumed to reused. “When we receive construc- go down with the length of the chain, tion waste, the material is reused By Brent Ehrlich and Paula Melton so in this group, C4 chemistries have in the production of new nora floor less bioaccumulative potential than coverings, or it’s recycled into other Teflon flu: that’s the name workers at C6. But that doesn’t mean they are products or used to generate energy.” a DuPont plant in West Virginia gave benign. Short-chain varieties are still to the vomiting, fevers, and other extremely persistent in the environ­ Artigo doesn’t have a take-back symptoms they had when exposed ment, with unknown long-term health program, according to Macrury. to high levels of PFOA, a perfluoro­ and environmental impacts. And chemical (PFC) made at the factory. What we’d like to see from nora because they do not work as well As explained in January 2016 by and Artigo as long-chain varieties, more of the Nathaniel Rich in the New York Times, chemicals may be needed. public discovery of the far-reach- Artigo and nora are focused on ing and long-lasting health and providing products that won’t Short-chain PFCs for the carpet environmental effects of PFOA led to and textile industries include non-­ compromise the health of hospital its eventual phase-out. patients and school children. We’d like branded stain treatments as well as branded formulations like Crypton, to see these two companies continue PFOA (formerly the main ingredient GreenShield, NanoSphere, Nanotex, to take a leadership role in helping of Teflon) and PFOS (formerly the and others. The manufacturers of clean up the rest of the rubber flooring main ingredient of Scotchgard) make these compounds tout the dirt and it so oils, dirt, and moisture bead up stain resistance as a way to minimize

Environmental Building News • Feburary 2016 p. 21 cleaning chemicals and prolong the lifespan of the textile.

Some companies—GreenShield, NanoSphere, and Nanotex—claim to use “nanotechnology” to improve performance and reduce the amount of the compound needed, but the “nano” in this case refers to the small size of the structure on the fiber, not the molecule size. The small structure produces small hairs that reduce the surface tension, helping provide dirt and stain resistance with smaller amounts of PFCs.

Reducing PFC use is considered a good thing by many in the green building industry, and designers have various strategies for avoiding the chemicals. These include the use of inherently stain-resistant materials, such as solution-dyed fabrics, and a good maintenance program (see Three Hazardous Textile Treatments and How to Avoid Them).

Others are taking a more active role. In 2015, Arlene Blum of the Green Science Policy Institute and others co-authored the Madrid Statement, which “documents the scientific consensus regarding the persistence and potential for harm of poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and lays out a roadmap to gather needed information and prevent further harm.” More than 230 scientists have signed the statement so far.

Environmental Building News • Feburary 2016 p. 22