Sustainable Building Technical Manual - Etn-presco.net

SOURCES OF POTENTIALLY HARMFUL CONTAMINANTS ANDDISCOMFORT IN BUILDINGSFigure 3When chemicals or hazardous materials are identified in MSDSs, refer to the HazardousChemicals Desk Reference and existing regulations and guidance for information abouttheir health effects and toxicity. 11 (For additional information regarding the interpretationof MSDSs, see Chapter 16, “Materials.”)❑ Perform the following steps to evaluate the materials, products, and furniture interms of their VOC contribution to indoor air:– Establish acceptable limits for total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs) and individualVOCs for the project. These limits should be based on regulatory requirements, guidelines,known health effects, and the professional advice of an IAQ specialist.At the time of publication of this manual, there are no laws or codes setting acceptablelevels of overall TVOC concentrations for general indoor environments orTVOC and VOC emissions from materials, products, and furniture. Some of theuncertainty associated with emissions from materials is caused by lack of standardizedtesting procedures and inconsistency of data reported in the literature. ASTMhas developed a general guidance standard for emission testing, however it is notspecific for materials. Further research and development is needed to advance thestate of the art to the point where reliable emissions data based on consensus standardsare available.– Request emissions test data from the manufacturer for each priority material, product,and furniture item. The data should be based on predetermined and agreedupon chamber test methods, from the manufacturer. Reports from chamber testsshould include the following information:a. Clear definition of the materials and their origin, age, and history.b. Clear specification of the test methods, conditions, and parameters.c. Emission rates for TVOCs and individual VOCs as a function of time.d. Identification of hazardous VOCs and chemicals that are listed in any of thefollowing internationally recognized regulatory and guidance chemical lists:1. California Environmental Protection Agency, Air Resources Board (ARB), listof Toxic Air Contaminants (California Air Toxics); 122. California Health and Welfare Agency, Safe Drinking Water and ToxicEnforcement Act of 1986 (Proposition 65), which lists chemicals known tocause cancer and reproductive toxicity; 13