Home construction materials

Sauna Detoxification Therapy A Guide for the Chemically Sensitive. Marilyn G. McVicker. Jefferson, NC McFarland, 1997. Sauna detoxification therapy for MCS patients is covered, including case studies of MCS sufferers who have chosen sauna treatment.The unique requirements for a home sauna whose construction materials are suitable for MCS patients, and how to build one, are presented. Includes a directory of organizations and vendors. 

The level of a human civilization, it might be argued, is largely a function of the materials with which it has to work. Nature has provided a bountiful supply of materials, such as mud, stone, and wood. So humans have never suffered for lack of substances with which to build their homes, construct their boats, fashion their weapons, make their tools, design their kitchen implements, and produce the myriad other objects needed for everyday life. 

Most new construction materials are not safe for use by MCS patients because they contain chemical substances and release gases. Before you start building or renovating, research your options and seek advice from experts in the field. In some situations it may be best to choose recycled construction materials after all, these materials have usually already gassed out. For more information on recycling, see www.neo.ne.gov/home const/factsheets/recycled const mat.ht m. 

Synthetic Rubber Construction Materials Home Construction Electronics Components Medical Devices... 

Air quality in homes and workplaces is affected by human activities, construction material, underground minerals, and outside pollution. The most common indoor pollutants are radon, carbon oxides, nitrogen oxides, tobacco smoke, formaldehyde, and a large variety of organic compounds. Indoor atmospheres can also be contaminated with fine particles such as dust, aerosols (from spray cans), fungal spores, and other microorganisms. 

Formaldehyde is an important industrial chemical for the production of synthetic resins. These resins are applied primarily as adhesives in the production of a large number of consumer products and construction materials that end up in homes. Other sources of indoor formaldehyde include urea-formaldehyde foam insulation, textile additives, as well as combustion and tobacco smoke. Formaldehyde is one of the many VOCs present indoors and it is considered the most abundant among them. It has important toxic effects in the 0.1-5 ppm concentration range. 

Today, ceramic materials find widespread applications in both the consumer and industrial market segments. In the home, ceramics are commonly used in kitchens and bathrooms and for decoration and ornamentation. As construction materials, ceramics are widely used as bricks, tiles, and concrete sidewalks. 

Consumers can be exposed to formaldehyde gas through its emission from construction materials, wood products, textiles, home furnishings, paper, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals (Bartnik et al. 1985 Pickrell et al. 1983 WHO 1989). Members of the general population may also be exposed to formaldehyde by dermal contact with many of these products. Based on a study of dermal absorption of formaldehyde in rats from cosmetic products, Bartnik et al. (1985) made rough estimates of the formaldehyde that could be absorbed through the use of products such as hand cream or sun-tan lotion. In the case of hand cream, approximately 2 g is used per application, containing 2 mg formaldehyde. Assuming 5% absorption,... 

Formaldehyde is typically not found in water or soil, and children are not expected to be exposed by these routes. Because it is a gas, formaldehyde is not brought home on a parent s work clothes or tools. Occupants of newly constructed homes, including children, may be exposed to formaldehyde due to its release from pressed wood construction materials (see Section 5. 7), a process that slowly decreases with time. As discussed above, formaldehyde is released to indoor air from many sources. Children that live in mobile homes may be exposed to higher levels of formaldehyde compared to those that live in conventional homes because mobile homes have lower air exchange rates. Children that live in... 

Reaching this objective requires the development of new energy-efficient construction materials, smart appliances, alternative energy systems in the home environment, insulation and sustainable products for the consumer. 

The selected scenario comprises the conceptual design of a polymerization process for the production of Polyamide-6 (PA6) from caprolactam [99, 104]. PA6 is a thermoplastic polymer with a world production capacity of more than 4 million tons per year (as of 2006). The most frequent use of PA6 is the production of fibers, which are used in home textiles, bath clothing and for carpet production. In addition, PA6 is used as an engineering construction material if high abrasion resistance, firmness, and solvent stability are required. Glass-fiber reinforced and mineral material-filled PA6 is a preferred construction material if a combination of rigidity, elasticity and refractory quality characteristics are required. 

Difficult as it is to avoid air pollution outdoors, it is no easier to avoid indoor pollution. The air quality in homes and in the workplace is affected by human activities, by construction materials, and by other factors in our immediate environment. The common indoor pollutants are radon, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, and formaldehyde. 

Sihcones (or silicon-based materials) are an integral part of daily fife. These materials make our denim clothing feel softer they help our hair to shine and our sldn to feel silky. Silicon-based materials are used in our food and drink to control foam. They lubricate and protect critical surfaces. They can be found in automobiles, buildings, and homes. These materials allow for the construction of skyscrapers as well as seal our aquariums and bathtubs. Have you ever wondered why you can peel a name tag from its paper backing and it still remains sticky enough to adhere to your clothing The answer is sihcones. Each day, we unknowingly come into contact with scores of products that contain sihcones for the very special properties that they possess. 

The widespread use of plastics and other synthetic materials in electrical appliances, construction materials and textiles has increased the flammability of these products and led to the extensive use of flame retardants to improve their flame resistance and to meet the fire safety standards. Measurements conducted in workplaces as offices, internet cafes, computer rooms and computers or electronic shops indicated significantly higher levels of brominated flame retardants compared to furniture stores, homes and outdoor air (Mandalakis et al. 2008). 

These new standards apply only to employees engaged in residential construction work, defined as a home being built with traditional wood frame construction materials and methods. The limited use of structural steel in a predominantly wood framed home would still qualify as residential construction. Use of sheet metal studs or the use of masonry brick in exterior walls would also fall under residential construction. (Residential construction work on scaffolds, ladders and aerial... 

Polymer Reclaim and Exchange, in Burlington, N.C., recycles about 300,000 Ib/month of vinyl siding from construction debris. Drop-off sites are located at landfills and near manufacturers of mobile and manufactured homes, and material is collected from as far as 500 miles away. The collected materials are cleaned and flaked, and then sold to molders, extruders, and compounders. ... 

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