Småhus, flerbostadshus och förskolebyggnader - Svanen

Nordisk Miljømerking
Hus, leiligheter og barnehager 089/versjon 2
Høringssammenstilling, oppdatert 10. august 2010
5.5. Andre krav til byggprodukter, materialer og interiører
O28 Fasade og takbekledning
International Zinc Association
Galvanised products and products made of zinc emit zinc and zinc compounds to the
surrounding environment (especially water and earth) where they can accumulate in the
food chain.
On the suggested accumulation of zinc in the food chain, the conclusion of the EU risk
assessment is clear: “it is concluded that secondary poisoning is considered to be not
relevant in the effect assessment of zinc. Major decision points for this conclusion are the
following. The accumulation of zinc, an essential element, is regulated in animals of
several taxonomic groups, for example in molluscs, crustaceans, fish and mammals. In
mammals, one of the two target species for secondary poisoning, both the absorption of
zinc from the diet and the excretion of zinc, are regulated. This allows mammals, within
certain limits, to maintain their total body zinc level (whole body homeostasis) and to
maintain physiologically required levels of zinc in their various tissues, both at
low and high dietary zinc intakes. The results of field studies, in which relatively small
differences were found in the zinc levels of small mammals from control and polluted
sites, are in accordance with the homeostatic mechanism. These data indicate that the
bioaccumulation potential of zinc in both herbivorous and carnivorous mammals will be
low. Based on the above data, secondary poisoning and the related issues ioaccumulation
and biomagnification are not further discussed in this report”. (Risk Assessment Zinc
metal, ECB 2008, page 292).
Zinc itself is a trace element without particularly toxic properties.
Zinc is an essential element for all life forms and it is required to ensure normal growth
and development. Nature and humans have a natural regulating system for zinc allowing
for adequate uptake/elimination, in accordance to the nutritional needs. The Predicted No
Effects Concentrations (PNECs), set in the zinc risk assessment report, therefore
recognize zinc excess as well as zinc deficiency and integrate the concepts of zinc
bioavailability. Van Sprang et al. (2009) have gone through a revision of the zinc risk
assessment using the most recent and up-to-date scientific concepts and
bioavailability tools. Over the nine European river basin studied, deterministic risk
characterization ratios were all below one, suggesting that there is no deterministic risk
associated with current use patterns of Zn in these river basins.
Zinc causes the release of cadmium since cadmium is an associated substance in zinc.
Today’s rolled zinc has to comply with European Standards, as defined by
CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulation. Those standards, prepared by TC CEN/TC 209
define products requirements, in this case specifications for rolled flat products for
building, including zinc. In such application zinc is alloyed with copper and titanium, and
it has a content of 99.995% zinc Super High Grade Z1, which is compliant with EN1179
standard. The EN1179 standard specifies that zinc cannot contain more than 0.003%
148 (165)