Healthy Buildings and the Effects of Plastics Used in The Building Industry on Health and The Environment. Case study: The Natrium building of the university of Gothenburg.

Abstract

Around one-fifth of all plastics are used in the construction industry. The most typical enduses of most of these plastics include insulation materials, window frames, moisture and damp proofing materials, and floor coverings materials. Frequently, plastics are also used in producing different kinds of materials used in plumbing, electrical systems, and HVAC systems. Furthermore, most glues, boards, roof coverings, paints, mineral-material-based insulations, and laminated surfaces include plastics as raw materials or resins. Plastics can also help in achieving varying essential technical and functional properties that are vital for modern day buildings. However, plastics have been proven to cause significant environmental and social damages over their life cycles. Yet, thorough studies on the quantities and various types of plastics in different types of buildings and in different kinds of building parts/sections, the risk factors of these different materials/chemicals, and the effects on human health and the Environment are unclear. This study aimed at helping to fill the said gap. The main objective is to assess the quantities and types of plastics used in our new building and in the different building parts with the help of a review of the material list provided by the project leader of the building. The main research method is by assessing the types and quantities of plastics in the building, categorizing them into categories of toxicity and modeling to compare these materials to a grid representing the effects of different plastic by categories. Also, Gass Chromatography Mass Spectrophotometry (GC-MS) is used to assess the gases in the air within the building and evaluate the toxicity of these gasses to human health over long periods of exposure. The study focused on the Natrium building which is the new constructed building for the faculty of science of the university of Gothenburg. In this case, the main sources of information were the report of the different quantities of the different materials in the building being studied, information regarding plastics in buildings that was researched from scientific literature and the environmental product declaration databases were investigated. The findings of this study confirm that plastics are found in most parts of buildings. Some of these plastics would have been relatively easy to replace during renovations, and part of the plastics used could be recycled with current existing practices. Also, there is a remarkable number of plastics used in glues, paints and resins which cannot feasibly be recycled with current existing methods. Further studies on the environmental and 5 economic consequences of replacing or recycling plastics over the full life cycle of a building are needed. This report will guide as a part of the plastics roadmap for the University of Gothenburg, which aims at a new sustainable plastics economy.