The Toxicology Behind Being Green

Green is in, and an increasing number of individuals, families, companies, and cities are adopting their own version of green living initiatives. These initiatives range from shopping with cloth bags on the consumer side, to certified Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED^®) building practices on the professional side.

For HVAC contractors, the most visible green initiative is related to setting high environmental standards and goals and living up to them, at the global, national, state, community, family and business levels. From recylng packing materials, to monitoring how long a technician leaves a service van idling, to improving the indoor air quality (IAQ) of a customer's home, or following the ASHRAE 62.2,Ventilation and Acceptable Indoor Air Quality in Low-Rise Residential Buildings guidelines, we need to take action. The quality of outdoor and interior air can ultimately effect your health and that of your customers.

The issue isn't that there are chemical contaminants in the air we breathe. We know they exist. The real issue is how toxic and how harmful those contaminants can become, and what solutions we can offer homeowners.

The green initiative is about understanding the chemical world we live in and educating customers about the sources and effect of chemicals found in their homes and the air they breathe.

It's a Chemical World Out There

National Geographic magazine has reported that hundreds of chemicals can be found in our bodies, some of which may remain for many years.⁽¹⁾. Toxicology (the study of poisons) has found that many of these chemicals are potentially harmful to human health. Simply put, our health isn't affected if we're not exposed to the chemicals. On a daily basis all of us are likely to be exposed to numerous chemicals, but it's the dosage that makes the difference. Exposure can either be acute or chronic, and can occur through air, food, or water. Exposure by air represents the most common contact for most individuals.

A major concept in toxicology is that “the dose makes the poison.” Anything can be hazardous to human health if a person receives a large enough, acute dose⁽²⁾. While some chemicals are extremely toxic even at a low dose acute exposure, the concern for HVAC contractors and their customers is what happens with low dose chronic exposures of chemicals that aren't so acutely toxic.

That's where detection comes in. Low-level cabon monoxide detectors and IAQ analyzers capable of measuring the amount of toxics in homes is critical for the health of the customer and your company's profitability.

Factors that Affect Response

An interesting question that arises in toxicology is, why do different individuals exhibit different responses — or susceptibilities — to the same exposure? Apparently, much of our response is determined by our genetics. Genetics can determine how our bodies handle chemicals and how it repairs damage done by chemicals.

Age is another critical determinant of susceptibility. Exposing a developing baby in the womb to certain chemicals (for example, lead), can result in a miscarriage, or altered organ or brain development and function. Altered gene expression during early development or infancy may even result in the manifestation of diseases later in life.

Older persons are more susceptible to chemicals, as the body's ability to handle chemicals declines with aging.

The presence of an underlying health condition is another important contributing factor determining how an individual will respond to a chemical or biological agent in the environment. For example, an individual whose immune system is suppressed is much more susceptible to bacteria or mold exposures than a person whose immune system isn't compromised. An individual with an underlying pulmonary condition, such as asthma, will respond to a much lower concentration of irritant gases than a non-asthmatic individual.

Asthma is a chronic inflammation of the lungs and passageways following sensitization to antigens. Proteins from dust mites, cockroaches and rodent droppings can all serve as antigens. Exposure to irritants or asthma triggers a reaction in sensitive individuals, causing airway constriction and difficulty in breathing.

What's In Our Air?

More than ever before, the public is aware of the potential impact of chemicals in their lives. They want to know what's in their food, clothing, water, and air, and whether their health or the health of their children will be affected.

When people think of chemicals in the air, they usually think of outdoor pollution. But, according to the American Lung Association's 2007 “State of the Air” report, 96.7% of North American homes have at least one of six common indoor air quality problems.