Countless consumers worry about their impact on the environment. When they make purchases, they want to protect the planet. However, they also want products that won’t harm their health. How can they find products that will allow them to achieve both goals?
Indoor Environments
As people spent more time at home during the global pandemic, they realized they wanted to make some changes. One thing that came to the attention of many during that period was the dismal air quality in many homes and businesses. Although the pandemic has passed, indoor air quality remains a concern today, and consumers are looking for safe products for their homes and offices.
GREENGUARD Certified products provide peace of mind. They know these products reduce their exposure to harmful substances, which benefits their health. At the same time, they help protect the planet.
VOC Emissions
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are carbon-based chemicals that become vapors or gases. They reduce indoor air quality. VOCs are found in countless products used in homes today, including building materials and household furnishings. Sadly, a person could be inhaling hundreds of VOCs each time they breathe.
The Environmental Protection Agency reports indoor air can be five times more polluted than outdoor air. Hundreds of chemicals are present in this air and enter the body each time a person breathes. Building materials and furnishings release chemicals into the air, and they may lead to health issues. Individuals struggling with allergies, asthma, reproductive problems, cardiovascular disease, or certain types of cancer may find VOCs are the underlying cause of their problems.
GREENGUARD Certification
GREENGUARD-certified products have low chemical emissions. They undergo testing to confirm this so people can feel safe purchasing them. They know that bringing them into the home or office will reduce VOCs in the environment, and everyone will have cleaner air to breathe.
VOC Testing
Dynamic environmental chambers are used to test products for VOCs. These rooms are temperature- and humidity-controlled to eliminate background VOCs. Multiple items may be tested in the rooms to ensure they produce low chemical emissions. A product can emit one or two chemicals or hundreds. Items may remain in these chambers for weeks so that researchers can learn the extent of off-gassing.
Chemical emissions are strongest for many items over the first few days and diminish with time. However, electronics tend to have emissions initially, which dissipate quickly. The certification process takes at least one month but can span several months. The product’s complexity influences the time needed to complete it, and researchers test thousands of products each year. Those products that obtain GREENGUARD Certification must be retested yearly to maintain certification.
Why This Testing is Necessary
Children remain most vulnerable to VOCs and poor indoor air quality. Their neurological and immune systems continue to develop, and any exposure to chemicals can be harmful. Limiting VOCs will protect their health and allow them to grow and thrive.
When purchasing furnishings and building materials, consumers should look for GREENGUARD-certified items. Purchasing these items will give them peace of mind, knowing they are doing everything possible to improve indoor air quality and give people clean air. If help is needed in finding certified items, consumers may visit the UL Solutions Sustainable Products of Trust database. This database contains over 130,000 sustainable items, making it easy for consumers to locate precisely what they need.
