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OLHCHH Track 2

IAQ & Healthy Homes

IAQ on Trial - Defending the Toxic Materials in a Home: Someone Has to Do It!

Wednesday, April 9, 2025
1:30 PM – 2:30 PM  
Location: Celestin D (Level 3)
CE: 1 CEU credits
CEU Type(s): BPI, BSI, EA, HHE, INTERNACHI, NARI, QCI, RESNET

  • Joe Medosch

    Director of Training
    measureQuick
    Loveland, Colorado

  • Dan Wildenhaus

    Senior Technical Manager - Training and Consulting Services
    Center for Energy & Environment
    Longmont, Colorado

  • Chrissi Antonopoulos

    Senior Building Scientist
    Pacific Northwest National Lab (PNNL)
    Portland, Oregon

Homes consist of 1000s of materials and assembled by 100s of individuals. The materials used in homes can have 100s of chemicals. According to a 2019 study, only 67 out of 756 chemicals found in building materials have available human toxicity effect factors. This makes it difficult to assess the health impacts of many chemicals in building materials - or the combination of chemicals or materials. Yikes!
See the process to prosecute and defend these materials and chemicals that are built into our homes. Similar to “Defending A Serial Killer: The Right To Counsel”. What are the impacts on a builder from the cost of materials, to installation/training, to logistics of finding and getting these “replacements” - is it possible? Will home buyers pay for “New Less Toxic Home”? Were there options or solutions that the builder should have been aware of?
Updated phrase “House as a System” > “House and Occupant as a System.” What are occupants doing to IAQ?
Could Whole House Ventilation prevent the impacts on the occupants, was it required, designed and commissioned?
Who will be found guilty? Material industry, 3rd party oversight, the builder, code officials, regulating agencies, the occupant? You, the jury will decide.

Learning Objectives:

By attending this session, attendees will:
  • Learn that most building materials do not disclose the chemicals in the products
  • Name 3 resources to look up building materials and determine the chemicals or find alternatives
  • Learn that ventilation can be a solution to exposure in a home and the ventilation system should be designed, properly installed and commissioned