Feb 13 2008
BuildClean, a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to educate purchasers of commercial and residential building materials about the health, safety and environmental risks and benefits of indoor products, announced today it is seeking academic and other scientific grant proposals and private sector partnerships to advance knowledge about how product choices impact where people work and live.
“We live in an information age, but so little data is available to inform consumers, builders, manufacturers and distributors of building materials about how products impact short- and long-term human health,” said Sara Speer Selber, president of BuildClean™ (https://www.buildclean.com/). “We have made significant advances in our knowledge of how people and the products we produce impact the environment, but we are way behind in equaling that knowledge when it comes to the health and safety benefits and risks of modern building materials,” she added.
Speer Selber pointed to such issues as radon emissions from igneous-based stone such as granite, lead in paint, “sick-house syndrome” and antibiotic-resistant, highly infectious staph as problems about which consumers, builders, architects and designers have very little scientific laboratory or field data upon which to base decisions about the products they choose to install in indoor environments.
“BuildClean™ seeks to form alliances with the organizations, agencies, businesses and academic institutions that care about these issues and want to help identify best practices and materials for healthy, safe and environmentally friendly indoor spaces,” she added.