Health is a big part of Green Interior Design. Until recently people were unaware of the health risks associated with many household and office products. I've divided the various health risks into a number of easy to understand blocks.

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)

VOCs are found in a wide variety of products in the office and home. They 'off-gas' easily and cause eye, ear and throat irriatation. They cause respiratory problems, dizziness, headaches and in extreme sitauations cancer and allergies. VOCs are found in paint, marker pens, furniture glue, flooring adhesive, copier ink and wall coverings. The inimical health effects of VOCs are worse in new buildings and in humid climates. VOCs are responisble for 'sick building syndrome'. VOCs contribute to ground-level ozone and smog. Ground level ozone in turn causes crop loss and deforestation.

The worst VOCs are formaldehyde (found in furniture and flooring), benzene and methylene-chloride (found in paint), styrene (found in SB carpet backing) and chlorofluorocarbons (found in cleaning products and refrigerants) and acetone (found in nail polish remover and paint thinner). These VOCs cause respiratory problems, reproductive problems and cancer. Read more.

Plastics

Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) is probably the most dangerous plastic. It is found in uPVC windows (also called rigid vinyl windows). It is stable in a home and doesn't leech chemicals but it's production and disposal releases toxic chemicals; and if there is a fire the smoke emitted from uPVC is very dangerous for human health. The styrene in polystrene has been linked to breast cancer. Bisphenol (BPA) is used to make plastic hard and is a hormone disruptor and is also linked to early puberty, breast cancer and obesity.

Radon

Radon is a naturally occuring radioactive element (Rn) that occurs world wide in varying concentrations and is believed to be the second largest cause of lung cancer. It causes 20,000 deaths a year in the USA. The EPA estimates that 8 million homes in the USA are at risk from elevated levels of radon. Read more.