GREENGUARD Certification Highlighted in Research Paper

Indoor air quality, an important element in high performance schools

ATLANTA, Sept. 3 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The GREENGUARD Certification Program(SM), which certifies products for low chemical emissions, is highlighted as an effective way to achieve good indoor air quality in schools in a recent research paper on high performance schools.

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The research paper titled “Green, High Performance Schools,” addresses how the many elements of sustainability affect a school and students’ performance, including the importance of good indoor air quality. High performance schools, as outlined by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC), create a “healthy environment that is conducive to learning while saving energy, resources and money.” The Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) lists twelve key characteristics high performance schools must meet including being healthy, comfortable, energy efficient, environmentally responsible and adaptable to changing needs.

Minimizing indoor air pollutants is paramount to high performance schools, based on the potentially detrimental effects volatile organic compounds (VOCs), allergens, molds and combustion gases may have on the health and wellbeing of children. In addition to their capacity of triggering asthma or allergy attacks, some of these pollutants are notorious for causing flu-like symptoms, headaches, nausea and irritation of the eyes, nose and throat.

The research paper evaluates the latest studies and scientific papers published on ‘green’ school design and how improved indoor air quality and learning environments affect student and teacher performance, operations and maintenance and overall economics. In particular, it highlights the importance of good indoor air quality and how utilizing the right low-emitting finishes, building products, furniture, school supplies and even cleaning chemicals can drastically improve the quality of air school occupants breathe. Controlling and eliminating the sources of indoor pollutants is described as the most effective approach to achieve healthy indoor environments. GREENGUARD Children & Schools(SM) Certification offers schools an effective, inexpensive way to identify low-emitting products and materials for educational facilities.

Specifying GREENGUARD Children & Schools Certified products may help schools meet the requirements outlined in the leading high performance school programs, such as the USGBC’s LEED(R) program, CHPS or the Environmental Protection Agency’s Tools for Schools, but most importantly it will improve a schools indoor air quality, creating healthy learning environments. The GREENGUARD Children & Schools Program offers third-party certified products, specifically tested to respond to the sensitive nature of schools and its occupants. To find certified products, please visit www.greenguard.org.

The full research paper “Green, High Performance Schools” is available at www.greenguard.org.

About GREENGUARD Environmental Institute (GEI)

Founded in 2001, GEI is an independent, third-party organization that oversees the GREENGUARD Certification programs. The Institute’s mission is to protect human health and quality of life through programs that improve indoor air that people breathe. As an ANSI Accredited Standards Developer, GEI establishes acceptable indoor air standards for building materials, interior products, electronic equipment, indoor environments and buildings. The more than 200,000 GREENGUARD Certified products represented under the GREENGUARD mark must meet stringent; third-party standards for low chemical emissions based on established health standards and undergo rigorous testing and verification processes on a regular basis. GREENGUARD Certification is broadly recognized and accepted by a number of ‘green’ building programs, including the United States Green Building Council’s (USGBC) LEED(R) program. An online guide of GREENGUARD Certified products is available at no charge at www.greenguard.org.

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Marilyn Black

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SOURCE GREENGUARD Environmental Institute