Arthur B. Weissman, PhD, President and CEO, Green Seal, Inc., 1001 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 827, Washington, D.C., DC 20036-5525, 202-872-6400, AWeissman@greenseal.org

For years many in industry resisted the notion that everyday products could, as a whole, be harmful to health or the environment. The products and systems that have been designed into your building, as well as the products and procedures you put into place for operating and maintaining your building, can either be a source of toxins and other harmful health effects or be neutral or even nourishing to human health and the environment. Basic materials and common products that have become familiar features of our built environment may nonetheless be a source of toxins with potentially serious adverse health effects. Many of the so-called "green" products are made with compounds that are not carcinogens, reproductive toxins, or endocrine disruptors, and are not toxic to humans or aquatic life, harmful to the ozone layer, bad for air quality, or persistent and bioaccumulative. This session discusses the basic connection between products in the built environment and human health and environment. We will look first at how common products in the built environment can be the source of highly undesirable toxins and how good alternatives can be found for them.

Learning Objectives: At the end of the presentation, the participant (learner) will be able to

• Link toxins in the built environment to the health, productivity, and welfare of workers and the community. 2) Understand how environmental standards can be developed to promote alternatives to toxic products, and,
• Recognize the benefits of life-cycle-based environmental standards for the built environment and the linkages to improved health, productivity, and welfare of building occupants and the community at large.

Keywords: Environment, Sustainability

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

Handout (.ppt format, 57.5 kb)