Green Options

There are a couple of different companies that install HVAC systems that reduce VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) but for some reason I’ve never thought about my child’s school or camp. So maybe it’s a bad time what with budget cuts, to be thinking about this sort of thing, but it IS worthwhile if you’re planning ahead.

Here’s at minimum what to look for at your child’s school or camp.

Green building is about healthy settings with visual appeal. The goal is to create rooms for physical, emotional, mental and spiritual benefits. That means avoiding things like airborne allergens, chemicals, and clutter.

Yet the study of indoor air pollution can get complex. Hence, no surprise of this month’s announcement that the LEED accreditation system introduced by the U.S. Green Building Council was revamped.

Preschoolers exposed to pollutants from gas-powered appliances are more likely to exhibit attention and cognitive disorders, according to a new study from Spain.

The study, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, found that early childhood exposure to indoor air pollution, specifically NO2 (nitrogen dioxide), led to lower scores on cognitive tests and was found to affect the child’s ability to pay attention.

A student research project funded by the EPA is looking in the most unlikely places for triggers to diseases like asthma: furniture cushions.

Jon McKinney, a junior at Missouri University of Science and Technology, is helping to develop the science of building forensics by identifying the chemical fingerprints of foam components present in common furniture items.