Think Globally
Volatile Organic Compounds
The practice that I work for is moving to a new office building. Everything is nice and new. I have windows in my office now. I have a awesome library ladder attached to built in shelves. When the architect asked for specs for the office, I asked him if it was possilble to have a library ladder. He told me no. He asked me if I had any other requests. I said, "Yes, is it possible to have a library ladder?" He again told me no. I asked again and finally the interior decorator said that she would look into it. And now my department has a library ladder to safely climb to reach the top shelves. I included windows in the request as a total joke. I said that it would improve moral, and that is true. And now we have a view of Kennesaw mountain. Side note: The name Kennesaw is derived from the Cherokee Indian "Gah-nee-sah" meaning cemetery or burial ground. Our first day in the new office will be Monday.
I noticed the new smell of the building when I visited and I wondered about what exactly the "new smell" was and what are the possible health effects. The link above discusses VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds). According to the EPA, concentrations of VOCs are cosistently up to 10 times higher indoors than outdoors. They can be found in new homes, offices, cars and planes for example.
"We find new car interiors have much higher VOC levels than any building we've researched," said researcher Steve Brown. "Ultimately, what we need are cars with interior materials that produce lower emissions."
A recent Japanese study found that the VOCs in a new minivan were over 35 times the health limit the day after its delivery. Japanese automobile manufacturers have become the first to set goals for reducing VOCs in new cars. According to an alliance representing General Motors, Ford, and DaimlerChrysler, the U.S. auto manufacturers do not follow the issue of VOC emission in new cars.
Like the smell, the chemical effect eventually wears off, typically after about six to eight months. During those months, try to avoid parking in direct sunlight, and use a solar reflector whenever possible since heat causes even more VOCs to escape into the air.
Good ventilation is the key to avoiding VOC illness. Let in fresh air as frequently as possible by opening doors, rolling down windows, and running the air conditioning.
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To be totally environmentally friendly, we would need to change every aspect of our lives. Are we willing to do this? I am. It will be hard and if I may, inconvenient. I mean, even hormones from birth contol pills released in urine are making their way into our waterways. Am I being environmentally responsible if I am taking births control pills? It seems harmless, but is it? See the link below. We will have to rethink the way we live. Our health depends on it. Our future depends on it.
Exposure to EcoEstrogens
The practice that I work for is moving to a new office building. Everything is nice and new. I have windows in my office now. I have a awesome library ladder attached to built in shelves. When the architect asked for specs for the office, I asked him if it was possilble to have a library ladder. He told me no. He asked me if I had any other requests. I said, "Yes, is it possible to have a library ladder?" He again told me no. I asked again and finally the interior decorator said that she would look into it. And now my department has a library ladder to safely climb to reach the top shelves. I included windows in the request as a total joke. I said that it would improve moral, and that is true. And now we have a view of Kennesaw mountain. Side note: The name Kennesaw is derived from the Cherokee Indian "Gah-nee-sah" meaning cemetery or burial ground. Our first day in the new office will be Monday.
I noticed the new smell of the building when I visited and I wondered about what exactly the "new smell" was and what are the possible health effects. The link above discusses VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds). According to the EPA, concentrations of VOCs are cosistently up to 10 times higher indoors than outdoors. They can be found in new homes, offices, cars and planes for example.
"We find new car interiors have much higher VOC levels than any building we've researched," said researcher Steve Brown. "Ultimately, what we need are cars with interior materials that produce lower emissions."
A recent Japanese study found that the VOCs in a new minivan were over 35 times the health limit the day after its delivery. Japanese automobile manufacturers have become the first to set goals for reducing VOCs in new cars. According to an alliance representing General Motors, Ford, and DaimlerChrysler, the U.S. auto manufacturers do not follow the issue of VOC emission in new cars.
Like the smell, the chemical effect eventually wears off, typically after about six to eight months. During those months, try to avoid parking in direct sunlight, and use a solar reflector whenever possible since heat causes even more VOCs to escape into the air.
Good ventilation is the key to avoiding VOC illness. Let in fresh air as frequently as possible by opening doors, rolling down windows, and running the air conditioning.
...
To be totally environmentally friendly, we would need to change every aspect of our lives. Are we willing to do this? I am. It will be hard and if I may, inconvenient. I mean, even hormones from birth contol pills released in urine are making their way into our waterways. Am I being environmentally responsible if I am taking births control pills? It seems harmless, but is it? See the link below. We will have to rethink the way we live. Our health depends on it. Our future depends on it.
Exposure to EcoEstrogens