May 30 2007
As summer approaches and the heat forces Americans inside to the comforts of air conditioning and climate control, some buildings will also become fertile ground for the growth of mold. Mold growth on building products and materials harms indoor air, potentially causing a range of health symptoms ranging from allergy-like problems to respiratory ailments. GREENGUARD Environmental Institute (GEI), an industry independent non-profit that develops standards and certification programs for indoor air, has launched a communication campaign to inform the public on the microbial or mold resistance of building products and materials.
"Destructive mold growth is widely seen on many essential building materials and products, and can lead to serious health issues and the degradation of entire buildings," commented Carl E. Smith, GEI's CEO. "We have the opportunity to better inform building professionals and consumers about the moisture resistance of the products they specify, install and use."
GEI is announcing a new program of listing products on its website that have been tested and met requirements to resist mold growth. GREENGUARD's Microbial Resistance Listing Program is based on ASTM D 6329-98 (2003), "Standard Guide for Developing Methodology for Evaluating the Ability of Indoor Materials to Support Microbial Growth Using Static Environmental Chambers", a guide developed on research by the USEPA. Using a standardized laboratory method, the resistance of a material to support the growth of environmental mold is measured and reported. A material found to be resistant to mold growth can be listed on the GEI website. This approach was developed and refined through a 21-month pilot study sponsored by GEI and conducted by Air Quality Sciences jointly with participating manufacturers. The test method was found to be reliable and reproducible across a wide variety of building materials.
"Consistent with GEI's mission to improve indoor air quality, we believe that this program will provide meaningful information to the public," continued Smith. "We also want to recognize those products and manufacturers that have demonstrated the commitment to develop product solutions that will resist mold."
Already manufacturers from several different industries have had their products tested and deemed resistant to microbial growth and mold. Among those companies whose products were determined to be resistant to mold are Armacell, LLC, DesignTex, Inc., Freudenberg Nonwovens (Viledon), Lonseal, Mapei, Inc., Thermafiber, and W.F. Taylor.