PVC Flooring & Toxic Cleaning Products in Schools
PVC flooring often requires the use of toxic cleaners to keep it durable and shiny. This wax and strip maintenance has long been a source of health concern due to the toxic VOCs such as formaldehyde (a known carcinogen) used in the maintenance products. A life cycle study of flooring installation and maintenance found that the amount of VOCs emitted from a single waxing of a floor may be comparable to the amount of VOCs emitted from the flooring itself over its entire life. While some PVC manufacturers have formulated “no wax” finishes for some of their flooring products, many PVC flooring products still require the use of toxic maintenance products. i
Toxic Cleaning Products Threaten Students, Teachers and Janitor’s Health
Consider just some of these alarming statistics about toxic cleaning products used in schools:
- One out of three cleaning products contains ingredients known to cause human health or environ-mental problems.
- A study found the average janitor uses 48 pounds of hazardous chemicals per year.
- Some of the ingredients in conventional cleaning products can cause cancer, asthma, mutate genetic material, sensitive the skin, and cause chemical burns.
- A review of workers’ compensation data from Washington State found that 6 out of 100 janitors are injured by chemicals every year, the most common injuries are serious burns to the eyes or skin.
- Many cleaning products contain respiratory irritants, which can both cause and trigger asthma at-tacks.
- A study found that janitorial workers and firefighters experience the highest rates of occupational asthma.
- Improving indoor air quality will improve performance and reduce absenteeism and building related health problems. ii
Children More At Risk from Toxic Chemicals
Children are not "little adults" - their developing brains and bodies, their metabolism and behaviors make them uniquely vulnerable to harm from toxic chemicals such as those released by the PVC life-cycle:
- Exposure begins in the womb through the mother's exposures to toxic chemicals. Infants in-gest chemicals through breast milk, formula and contact with their environment.
- Rapid brain development in the fetus, infants and young children make them more susceptible to harm from chemicals that may impair brain function and development.
- For their weight, children eat, drink and breathe more than adults - so pound for pound they take in a greater quantity of toxic contaminants. A small exposure translates into a big dose.
- Children put things in their mouths and spend a lot of time on the floor and ground, so they may ingest chemicals from toys, containers, dirt and dust on a regular basis.iii
Hazardous Chemicals of Concern in PVC Cleaning Products
The following is a summary of hazardous chemicals of concern typically used to clean PVC flooring in schools. Note - these chemicals are often but not always found in cleaning products used on PVC in schools (depending on the chemical formulation of the product).
Products iv |
Chemicals of Concern v |
Health Hazards vi, vii, viii, ix |
Baseboard Cleaner |
Diethylene Glycol Butyl Ether |
Suspected cardiovascular, kidney, neurological and reproductive toxicant |
Baseboard Cleaner |
Potassium Hydroxide |
Skin or sense organ toxicant |
Floor Finish |
Ethylene Glycol |
Recognized carcinogen, suspected gastrointestinal or liver, im-mune system, central nervous system, reproductive respira-tory and skin or sense organ toxicant, asthmagen |
Floor Finish |
Formaldehyde |
Recognized carcinogen, suspected gastrointestinal or liver, im-mune system, central nervous system, reproductive respira-tory and skin or sense organ toxicant, asthmagen x |
Floor Finish |
Styrene |
Suspected carcinogen, cardiovascular, endocrine, developmental, gastrointestinal, immunological, kidney, central nervous system, reproductive, respiratory and skin and sense organ toxicant, asthmagen xi |
Floor Finish |
Tributoxyethyl Phos-phate |
May cause nervous system effects such as ataxia, breathing abnormalities and tremors with prolonged or repeated contact2 |
Floor Finish |
Zinc |
Suspected cardiovascular, developmental, immune system, reproductive, respiratory and skin or sense organ toxicant |
Floor Finish and Gloss Restorer |
Dipropylene glycol Monomethyl ether |
Suspected kidney, central nervous system and reproductive system toxicant |
Floor Finish and Spray Buff |
Dipropylene glycol Monomethyl ether |
Suspected cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, kidney, liver and central nervous system toxicant |
Floor Stripper |
Ethanolamine |
Absorbed through the skin; suspected skin and sense organ and immunotoxicant, eyes and respiratory irritant, asthmagen xii,xiii |
Floor Stripper |
Naphthalene |
Recognized carcinogen, suspected respiratory, cardiovascular, developmental, gastrointestinal, skin and sense organ and cen-tral nervous system toxicant |
Floor Stripper |
Sodium Hydroxide (lye) |
Caustic, contact burns eyes and skin, ingestion damages sto-mach and esophagus.xiv Suspected respiratory and skin or sense organ toxicant |
Floor Stripper and Baseboard Cleaner |
2-butoxyethanol |
Suspected human carcinogen, cardiovascular, developmental, endocrine, gastrointestinal or liver, kidney, central nervous system, reproductive, respiratory and skin or sense organ toxicant. Absorbed through the skin xv |
Floor Stripper and Baseboard Cleaner |
Isobutane |
Suspected neurotoxicant |
Floor Stripper and Baseboard Cleaner |
Monoethanolamine |
Hormone disrupting chemical that can form cancer-causing ni-trates Use with caution Restricted in Europe due to carcinogenic effects. Asthmagen xvi,xvii |
Floor Stripper and Finish |
Ammonia |
Suspected gastrointestinal, central nervous system, and skin or sense organ toxicant. Forms toxic gas when mixed with bleach xviii,xix |
Floor Stripper and Floor Finish |
Diethyl Phthalate |
Suspected endocrine disruptor, reproductive, developmental, central nervous system and kidney toxicant |
Floor Stripper, Floor Finish, and Spray Buff |
Diethyl Phthalate |
Suspected developmental, endocrine, gastrointestinal or liver, kidney, immune system, central nervous system, reproduc-tive, skin or sense organ toxicant |
Floor Stripper, Floor Finish, and Spray Buff |
Alkylphenol Ethoxylates (APEs), Ethoxylated nonyl phenols (NPEs) Nonyl phenol ethoxylates |
Suspected endocrine toxicant, toxic to aquatic organisms xx |
Shineline Floor Prep |
Phosphoric Acid |
Corrosive to skin and eyes. Suspected central nervous system, respiratory, and skin or sense organ toxicant |
Spray Buff |
Aliphatic petroleum distillates |
Respiratory system, gastrointestinal and eye and skin irritant xxi |
PVC Flooring is More Expensive Due to Toxic Cleaning Products
While PVC flooring is typically cheaper up-front than other alternatives, over the lifecycle of the product PVC flooring is significantly more expensive due to the toxic cleaning products and strippers used to maintain the flooring. Additionally – PVC flooring often doesn’t last as long as other flooring materials. This combined with PVC’s higher-maintenance costs make it one of the most expensive flooring options on a life-cycle basis. Safer cost-effective alternatives include natural cork, traditional linoleum, synthetic rubber, and non-chlorinated polymers. According to an analysis by researchers at Tufts University, cork, linoleum, rubber, and non-chlorinated Stratica are all cheaper than PVC flooring over its lifecycle (see table below).xxii
Life Cycle Costs of Flooring (per square foot)xiii
Safer Alternatives to PVC flooring in Schools
Safer cost-effective alternatives are readily available. When using these products, we encourage schools to use third-party certified green cleaning products.
- Cork - harvested from the cork oak tree. Cork tiles are either left unfinished or finished with a wax of polyurethane topcoat. Refinishing with polyurethane is required only every three to four years.
- Linoleum - is made from renewable materials: linseed oil, pine or other rosin, ground cork dust, wood flour, mineral fillers, and pigments. Linoleum is available in both sheet and tile.
- Stratica - is a non-chlorinated plastic whose appearance is most similar to vinyl flooring among other resilient flooring materials.
- Rubber - is manufactured from natural rubber, recycled automobile and truck tires, or from synthetic rubber compounds including styrene butadiene rubber (SBR), ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM), nitrile, or Nora rubber. Available in both files and sheets.xxiv
What Can I Do? Take Action for Healthy PVC-Free Schools
Safer and cost-effective alternatives are already available for PVC flooring in our nation’s schools. Here’s how you can help today:
- Get your school to use green cleaning products! Encourage your school to switch to third-party certified green floor care and cleaning products.
- Encourage your school to renovate or build their school with PVC-free building materials such as PVC-free linoleum flooring and TPO roofing.
- Encourage your school district, county or state to adopt a healthy PVC-free policy to avoid the use of PVC flooring, other PVC building materials and office supplies where safer cost-effective alternatives are available.
- Educate parents, teachers and students! Organize a screening of Blue Vinyl and Sam Suds for your PTA, teacher’s union, or concerned students.
- Encourage organizations, such as teacher’s unions and parenting groups, to endorse the cam-paign.
- Back to school – go PVC-free! When buying your back-to-school supplies, shop for PVC-free products.
- Get involved today! If you’re interested in getting involved, contact CHEJ at mike@chej.org or 212-964-3680.
Resources to Learn More about Green Cleaning
- Asthma Regional Council of New England – Health Considerations When Choosing School Flooring - http://www.asthmaregionalcouncil.org/about/documents/
HealthConsiderationswhenChoosingSchoolFlooring.pdf - CHEJ’s Green Cleaning Resources – http://childproofing.org/green_cleaning_the_basics.htm
- Cleaning for Healthy Schools Toolkit - http://www.cleaningforhealthyschools.org/
- Educate parents, teachers and students! Organize a screening of Blue Vinyl and Sam Suds for your PTA, teacher’s union, or concerned students.
- Green Flag Schools – http://www.greenflags.org
- Green Seal – http://www.greenseal.org
- Green Schools Buying Guide -- http://www.greenschools.net/display.php?modin=54
References
i Lent, T., Silas, J. and Vallette, J. 2009. Resilient flooring & chemical hazards – a comparative analysis of vinyl and other alternatives to health care. Arlington, VA: Health Care Without Harm. Online: http://www.healthybuilding.net/docs/HBN-ResilientFlooring&ChemicalHazards-Report.pdf (20 October 2009).
ii INFORM. 2006. Frequently asked questions: cleaning for health. NY, NY. Online: http://www.informinc.org/cfhfaq.pdf (22 October 2009).
iii Landrigan, P. et al. Children's health and the environment: a new agenda for preventive research. Environmental Health Perspectives June 1998.
iv Information compiled from Informed Green Solutions, INFORM, MSDS sheets, Janitorial Pollution Prevention Project, and Green Seal.
v Information compiled from Informed Green Solutions, INFORM, MSDS sheets, Janitorial Pollution Prevention Project, and Green Seal.
vi Environmental Defense. “Scorecard – human hazards, chemical profiles.” Online: www.scorecard.org (22 October 2009).
vii Green Seal. Online: http://www.greenseal.org (22 October 2009).
viii Janitorial Products Pollution Prevention Project. Online: http://www.wrppn.org/Janitorial/jp4.cfm (22 October 2009). ix U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “Household products database.” Online: http://householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/household/brands?tbl=brands&id=5021 (22 October 2009).http://www.acereport.org/oxy3.html (21 October 2009).
x Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics. “Exposure code list.” Online: http://www.aoecdata.org/ExpCodeLookup.aspx (22 October 2009).
xi Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics. “Exposure code list.” Online: http://www.aoecdata.org/ExpCodeLookup.aspx (22 October 2009).
xii Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics. “Exposure code list.” Online: http://www.aoecdata.org/ExpCodeLookup.aspx (22 October 2009).
xiiiSavonious, B. et al. 1994. Occupational asthma caused by ethanolamines. Allergy 1994; 49:877-88 Online: http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/119269139/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0 (22 October 2009).
xivManufacturer MSDS – available at http://www.msdsonline.com
xv EXTOXNET. Online: http://pmep.cce.cornell.edu/profiles/extoxnet/pyrethrins-ziram/tributyltin-ext.html (22 Oc-tober 2009).
xvi Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics. “Exposure code list.” Online: http://www.aoecdata.org/ExpCodeLookup.aspx (22 October 2009).
xvii Savonious, B. et al. 1994. Occupational asthma caused by ethanolamines. Allergy 1994; 49:877-88 Online: http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/119269139/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0 (22 October 2009).
xviii U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health. “MedLine plus – sodium hypochlorite poisoning.” Online: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002488.htm (22 October 2009).
xix Hughes, J., Hathaway, G. and Proctor, N.. 1996. Proctor and Hughes' chemical hazards of the workplace Wiley.
xx U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. “Key characteristics of laundry detergent ingredients.” Online: http://www.epa.gov/dfe/pubs/laundry/techfact/keychar.htm (22 October 2009).
xxi Manufacturer MSDS – available at http://www.msdsonline.com
xxii Ackerman F. and R. Massey. 2006. The economics of phasing out PVC. Somerville, MA: Global Development and Environment Institute, Tufts University. Online: http://www.ase.tufts.edu/gdae/Pubs/rp/Economics_of_PVC_revised.pdf (22 October 2009).
xxiii Ackerman F. and R. Massey. 2006. The economics of phasing out PVC. Somerville, MA: Global Development and Environment Institute, Tufts University. Online: http://www.ase.tufts.edu/gdae/Pubs/rp/Economics_of_PVC_revised.pdf (22 October 2009).
xxiv Ackerman F. and R. Massey. 2006. The economics of phasing out PVC. Somerville, MA: Global Development and Environment Institute, Tufts University. Online: http://www.ase.tufts.edu/gdae/Pubs/rp/Economics_of_PVC_revised.pdf (22 October 2009).