Construction Materials and Health Issues Indoors

Some of the ingredients, mainly additives existing in various construction materials can slowly evaporate and/or breakdown, releasing different chemicals. Of all the construction materials, plastics and wood are onr main concern in this chapter. It is essential to see their possible VOC contribntions briefly. 

In the plastics construction materials list, the biggest share belongs to PVC (55%), as followed by polystyrene (PS, 15%), polyolefins (15%), polyurethanes (PU, 8%), and others, mainly PMMA (7%) [24]. These plastics are used in different applications in constrnction and they are nsnally blended with certain additives. These additives cause the main toxic effects of constrnction materials. 

Recently some organic-based stabilisers with a pyrimidinedione system with no heavy metals were introduced and they found immediate use. 

Hindered amine light stabilisers (HALS) are the main stabiliser type (as a scavenger to inhibit free radical chain propagation) in addition to organo-nickel compounds (as a quencher to prevent initiation of polymer degradation) are used for UV stabilisation. 

In early applications, oils were used to plasticise pitch for waterproofing ancient boats. However, modern plasticisers are usually man-made organic chemicals and are externally used. They are mostly esters, such as adipates and phthalates, that have been in use for about 50 years. There are more than 300 different types of such plasticisers and 100 of them are in commercial use. The PVC industry, because of its industrial status makes the largest usage of plasticisers, and dominates the literature on plasticisers. These PVC plasticisers are mainly phthalate esters of Cg, C9 and Cjg. They are used to make flexible PVC, mostly used in flooring products to make them easy to roll, store and install. 

---

Most of this chapter is taken from the Chapter 12 (Construction Materials and Health Issues Indoors) written by Guneri Akovali, in the book Polymers in Construction , Ed., G. Akovali, Rapra Technology, Shawbury, Shropshire, UK, 2005. 

---