by Brianna Crandall — March 16, 2015—To help promote clean and healthy buildings of all kinds, the Healthy Facilities Institute (HFI) online educational center has released its Top 3 Healthy Facility Scams for 2015. These include:
1. The Air Quality Scam
This includes claims that a product, such as an air purifier, protects indoor air quality (IAQ) by eliminating a contaminant, such as dust or pollen.
HFI says this is misleading because air is a complex, dynamic “fluid” containing hundreds or thousands of substances—particles and gases—mixed together, and just eliminating particles (e.g., airborne dust, pollen or mold fragments) from air passing through the purifier does not necessarily mean indoor air is healthier, as it may still contain many unwanted elements.
With regard to what a filter does remove from the air, HFI says to look for the Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) that tells how much air is filtered. Air cleaners or purifiers need to be sized for rooms they are in, because a small unit may not be moving enough air or removing enough particles to make any difference in air quality.
HFI reminds that removing particles does not usually affect gases or volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that require a different type of filter media (e.g., adsorption filters such as activated carbon or charcoal).
2. The VOC Scam
Claims for air purifiers with adsorption filters “eliminating VOCs” or products being “low-VOC” are misleading for similar reasons, says HFI.
VOC claims for air purifiers
“Cherry-picking” claims for particular VOC removal does not mean other VOCs (perhaps more harmful ones) are filtered out using a particular air purifier model.
Right-size air cleaners for rooms they are in, because a small unit may not be moving enough air or removing enough VOCs to make a difference in air quality, recommends HFI. Also look for the Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) that tells how much air is filtered, and which pollutants. Note also how often the filter needs changing.
VOC claims for products
Claims for “low-VOC” products are everywhere, but be careful because manufacturers can mislead when stating VOC-ingredient levels and VOC-content versus VOC-outgassing levels (what a product contains versus what it releases), says HFI. For example, a product may be low in certain VOCs but high in others, or a product may have low VOCs compared to other offerings but still outgas an unhealthy amount.
One rule of thumb is that if a product has an odor, it is off gassing something. HFI reminds that some VOCs are odorless, and recommends doing research on the product, especially if those involved are sensitive to chemicals in indoor air. Good ventilation usually helps if there is a source of fresh air.
3. The Green Cleaning Scam
Green cleaning scams today are fewer because certifying bodies exist (such as Green Seal, UL Environment, etc.) that help separate green products from good “paint jobs”. But HFI reminds that if a product has a fragrance, it is polluting the air, and that even “green formulas” may contain harmful chemistries, just less harmful.
HFI recommends that facilities professionals be careful and informed, use good ventilation, minimize chemicals—green or otherwise—and adopt a prevention rather than removal strategy (e.g., install large entry mats to keep harmful matter out, use water and microfiber, water-based interventions such as dry steam vapor, etc.
