National Programs to Assess IEQ Effects of Building Materials and Products

Background: Building materials, interior furnishings, surface treatments, paints, coatings and consumer products have been shown to contribute to indoor contaminants. Currently, information on potential hazards of these chemicals prior to specification, purchase or use of these products is limited. Except for a few cases, regulations to limit or prevent exposures to product-related emissions do not exist in the US. There have been several recent circumstances where introduction of new materials/products have resulted in wide scale exposures followed by research examining potential harmful effects.