Healthy Building Network- Pharos Adds Hazard Data For 26,000 Previously Uncharacterized Chemicals

 “The connection between health and the dwelling of the population is one of the most important that exists.”   - Florence Nightingale

There are about 85,000 chemicals available in the market, but few chemicals are suitably tested for human health impacts. Dangerous chemicals are widespread and can be found in our water, air, food, and products we use every day. These chemicals move into our bodies, our children’s bodies, our pets, and wildlife, costing us our health, the loss of millions of IQ points, and contributing to climate change. The Healthy Building Network aims to advance human and environmental health by improving hazardous chemical clarity and inspiring product creations. They achieve this goal through three programmatic ways- independent research, strong data tools, and capacity building education. Each of these are designed to provide ideas and information that improve health for all. Within this plan, they utilize five interlocking and supporting strategies that form together to create a path of healthy living. These five strategies are:

 

 Pharos is a tool to help scientists, researchers, and product innovators find problematic chemicals and work together to find safer alternatives. They are a project of the Healthy Building Network to reduce the use of unsafe chemicals in building products as well as improving human health and the environment. The Pharos Chemical and Material Library widens its reach as the incomparable tool for investigating chemical hazards with the addition of hazard data for 26,000 previously uncharacterized chemicals. This brings the total substances covered to over 85,000. They also added about 50,000 new modeled hazard associations from the list. These classifications cover: Mutagenicity, Carcinogenicity, Reproductive toxicity (possible harm to the unborn child), Danger to the aquatic environment, Acute oral toxicity, Skin sensitisation and skin irritation.

The volume of this data (about 50,000 distinct hazards for 25,000 chemicals) are modeled hazard associations using QSAR (Quantitative Structure Activity Relationship) from the Danish Environmental Protection Agency. This type of computer simulation information is used vastly by the pharmaceutical industry to predict beneficial and non-beneficial impacts of chemicals. The hazard information for an additional 1,000 previously uncharacterized chemicals were submitted by manufacturers to the European Chemicals Agency under the EU law known as REACH. Their goal is to help manufactures meet their responsibility to self-classify the chemicals they import or produce under European CLP regulations.

 

https://healthybuilding.net/blog/239-pharos-adds-hazard-data-for-26000-previosly-uncharacterized-chemicals

 https://healthybuilding.net/work




 

 

 

 

Comments

  1. INT323-2021September 8, 2020 at 1:47 PM

    Well done review of HBN!

    ReplyDelete
  2. INT323-2021September 8, 2020 at 1:47 PM

    Well done review of HBN!

    ReplyDelete
  3. INT323-2021September 8, 2020 at 1:48 PM

    Please post this to our class blog!

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousSeptember 10, 2020 at 10:16 AM

    Erica,
    This is a great review of HBN and I did not know how many chemicals are being released into the air and buildings which was very insightful for me! I don't think designers are always aware of their surroundings or effects that a fabric or a building's chemicals can emit. It is definitely something we need to be more aware of in how we design a space. Check out these articles as well pertaining to this subject.
    https://www.buildinggreen.com/avoiding-toxic-chemicals
    https://www.epa.gov/saferchoice/design-environment-programs-initiatives-and-projects

    ReplyDelete

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