GREENGUARD Nursery Premiers at ABC Show

The air inside our homes and schools can be more toxic than the air outside! Why? Because the very materials and products we use to furnish and maintain our indoor environments can release hundreds of pollutants such as formaldehyde, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), ozone and even biological allergens.

The GREENGUARD Certified Mark on products, ranging from mattresses to fllooring, drywall to paint, offers peace of mind to parents seeking solutions to poor indoor air quality and chemical sensitivities. GREENGUARD Environmental Institute (GEI), considered one of the world’s foremost resources on indoor air quality, will be at The ABC Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center, September 13-16, Booth 2135, in the Naturally Kids Pavilion.

GREENGUARD Nursery Features Certified Products

The GREENGUARD nursery at The ABC Show will help create awareness that good indoor air quality is critical to providing healthy environments for children. With children spending on average 85% of their time indoors and indoor air typically 2-5 times more polluted than the outdoor air, one of the most important steps for protecting children is to make sure the air they breathe indoors is clean and free of hazardous pollutants.

Parents go to great lengths to protect their children, as can be witnessed with car seats, baby monitors, baby gates as well as watching what they eat. However, many do not stop to think about the quality of air their baby is
breathing, and yet it can impact the child’s health. Indoor furnishings, finishes and cleaning products emit thousands of different pollutants into the air. By using products that are certified by GREENGUARD, retailers can rest easy knowing the products they carry for their customers have met stringent chemical emissions standards, backed by the most rigorous third-party certification program in the industry.

Certified products included in the nursery display and construction include Naturepedic, AkzoNobel, Sherwin-Williams, Anderson, Q Collection, Fleetwood, Teknion, BonaKemi, Rubbermaid, Herman Miller, Maharam, National Gypsum, Georgia-Pacific Gympsum, Hunter Douglas, Owens Corning, Knoll Textiles, Ecilipse Shutters and Bernhardt Design.

Marilyn Black, Founder of GEI, to Attend The ABC Show.

“More and more parents recognize the importance of providing their children with an interior environment that is as clear of pollutants as possible,” said GEI Founder Marilyn Black. “Unfortunately, it is very difficult to distinguish which products are truly environmentally friendly and which ones are not. The GREENGUARD mark ensures a particular product has passed rigorous testing to prove it will emit the fewest possible pollutants into the air.”

With more than 20 years of experience in indoor air quality research, Dr. Marilyn Black is an expert on measuring indoor air pollution, identifying the pollutant sources and finding solutions for improving the air in offices, schools and homes. She has directed numerous scientific studies involving indoor air pollution and human health effects, mold growth, chemical exposures and the impact of furnishings on indoor air pollution.

Dr. Black holds Ph.D., M.S. and B.S. degrees in chemistry and environmental health, and has published more than 200 papers on indoor air pollution and health. She and her company are recipients of numerous industry and community awards including National IAQ Company of the Year; National IAQ Research Award; Most Innovative Technology Award for Georgia; Ford Motor Company’s Public Service Award for work in the Protection of Human Health; and Environmental Champion recognition as the foremost expert on characterizing indoor air pollution and its sources by EnvironDesign Journal.

Dr. Black is the mother of four children, and has served as a frequent participant and advisor in school studies designed to improve indoor air quality and to protect the health of children. She will be in attendance at The ABC Show and available for interviews.

Facts About Indoor Air Pollution and Asthma

Here are some other facts regarding children and air quality at home and in schools:
• 73 million children under the age of 18 in the United States are at risk from indoor air pollution
• 2.5 million children with chronic and/or high risk medical conditions in the United States are at high risk from indoor air pollution
• 6.8 million children with asthma in the United States are at risk from indoor air pollution
• Fetal and early childhood exposures to industrial chemicals in the environment can damage the developing brain and can lead to neurodevelopment disorders (NDDs)—autism, attention deficit disorder (ADHD), and mental retardation
• Researchers have found that 201 commonly used industrial chemicals have the capacity to damage the human brain, and they concluded that chemical pollution may have harmed the brains of millions of children worldwide (www.hsph.harvard.edu/neurotoxicant/appendix.doc)
• Every day in America:
o 40,000 people miss school or work due to asthma
o 30,000 people have an asthma attack
o 5,000 people visit the emergency room due to asthma
o 1,000 people are admitted to the hospital due to asthma

Importance of Air Quality Product Certification

GREENGUARD Children & Schools is one of three certification programs overseen by GEI, founded in 2001 to establish certification programs to measure and verify that the levels of chemical emissions of products being used indoors are acceptable. As an American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Authorized Standards Developer, GEI establishes acceptable indoor air standards for building materials, interior products, indoor environments and building designs.

The GREENGUARD certification mark can be found on more than 170,000 interior products produced by over 150 manufacturers. Product categories undergo quarterly testing to ensure that products continue to meet emissions criteria. The ongoing testing is necessary for products to retain their certification.

For more information on the GREENGUARD Children & Schools certification program and GEI, plus the most up-to-date listing of GREENGUARD Certified Products, visit www.greenguard.org