Thanks to skyrocketing energy costs and the impact of unchecked energy usage, many homeowners are painfully aware of the problems associated with poorly-insulated homes. As a result, homes are now constructed with energy efficiency in mind, utilizing lower ceilings, proper air flow and modern appliances. However, owners of older homes must often confront the fact that their homes were constructed before these considerations took place.
Furthermore, these homeowners often learn that their homes not only contribute to the planet’s continued deterioration through nonrenewable resource usage, but to their own deteriorating health as well, through exposure to unsafe materials. One of the largest culprits in the frequent indoor pollution of homes is the construction materials themselves, which often make the difference between a green home and one that should be quarantined. Two material pollutants, in particular, have proven
extremely dangerous to homeowners, especially as they age and degrade: asbestos and formaldehyde, which both have a long history of use in the home in a number of products.
Although asbestos has long been considered a “wonder material†for its high resistance to heat, fire and chemicals, today we know exposure leads to a lethal form of cancer called mesothelioma. Unfortunately, symptoms of mesothelioma often do not appear for many years after exposure, mimicking other illnesses when they do.
Furthermore, the EPA failed to issue a final rule to ban most asbestos products until 1989, which was later overturned, allowing the material’s limited use in several products. With the continued presence of asbestos in homes, the unrelenting appearance of mesothelioma symptoms continues today.
Currently, we see as many as 3,000 individuals diagnosed with this cancer in the U.S. annually after the material is damaged and its tiny particles are inhaled or ingested, allowing them to enter the body and irritate the tissue layer surrounding organs called the mesothelium. Eventually, that irritation leads to the development of cancer.
Formaldehyde, another substance used to manufacture building materials and household products, is a chemical that saw frequent use in the 1970s as a major component of urea-formaldehyde foam insulation. Unlike asbestos, which is a naturally-occurring mineral, this material is a chemical that is formed through combustion and other processes. This material produces a colorless, pungent gas that can lead to numerous health effects such as burning in the eyes and throat, nausea, respiratory
difficulties and even asthma attacks. Furthermore, evidence suggests that sustained high levels of exposure can also cause cancer.
Although President Obama signed legislation last year establishing limits on the formaldehyde emissions of certain materials, this new legislation does not address older homes containing the material that pose a continued threat.
Luckily, a variety of green insulation and construction materials alternatives exist. One of the most promising of these materials is blown-in cellulose insulation, which is both environmentally safe and friendly. Manufactured from post-consumer, recycled paper, this material has a high R-value of anywhere from 15 to 38. Additionally, the installation of this material is faster and easier, as it can be directed around beams, walls and wiring that might have required removal with other forms of insulation.
Besides its treatment which provides mold, fire and insect resistance, this material poses no known health consequences as it degrades. With considerations like the short mesothelioma life expectancy and the numerous consequences of formaldehyde poisoning, countless reasons to replace these old forms of insulation exist. Besides the immediate danger to homeowners, future residents and those who might unknowingly handle these materials, like waste management employees, also face the consequences of allowing these hazards to remain in a home’s walls and ceilings. However, by professionally removing, disposing of and replacing these materials, homeowners can ensure both the health of their family and their community.
