SECTION 5: CONTRIBUTIONS TO SAFER, HEALTHIER
ENVIRONMENT
Under this Section NUDURA qualifies under descriptions 5a only
• 5a. Products that don’t release significant pollutants into the building
Further to the aspect of providing alternatives to ozone depleting materials, NUDURA
is pleased
to provide additional data corroborating the fact that under normal or even extreme
natural
temperature conditions (non-fire related) NUDURA EPS foam DOES NOT release
pollutants into
the interior or exterior environment.
Styrene Emissions – A common concern expressed by many potential specifying
contractors
and clients is with respect to the large amount of expanded polystyrene foam that is
directly
beneath any protecting drywall/gypsum board in the interior building space. Please
refer to a
copy of the report on long term emissions testing provided by “” for BASF
Corporation Section 6
Tab 22. As this information corroborates, even after significant long term exposure,
the detection
devices employed for the testing to foam emissions were unable to record styrene
emissions
greater than 8 parts per million per 24 hour period which is the absolute lowest
echelon that the
detection devices were capable of performing at.
Pentane Emissions – 99% of the pentane blowing agent that is used in the
manufacture of the
forms effectively flashes to the exterior air in factory within the first few hours of
manufacture.
However, the final 1% exits the form during a process that is unique to NUDURA’s
manufacturing
system for addressing form dimensional stability. Each NUDURA form is specially
OVEN CURED to
assure greater control over final product dimension. However a favorable by-product
of this
process is that it assures that 100% of any pentane that may be resident in the form
after initial
manufacture is completed evaporated from the forms themselves before they are
ever loaded for
shipping to the stocking distributor or building site.
Bromine Emissions- We note that Building Green has cited specific concerns with
respect to
potential emission concerns associated with the Bromine additives contained in all
EPS foam
products. These products are of course a vital necessity and code requirement of the
limiting
oxygen index requirements for foam manufacture that are dictated under the
manufacturing
standards for shape molded and cut sheet foam plastic insulation for the construction
industry as
established by both ASTM C578 AND CAN/ULC S-701. Please see documentation
under Section 6:
Tab 23 from BASF Corporation which specifically addresses this subject.
Borate Emissions- Although some ICF manufacturers have elected to impregnate
their EPS
foam products with DOT (Disodium Octaborate Tetrahydrate) treatments containing
borate
toxins, for the purpose of handling termite and other wood burrowing insects in
more southerly
locales, NUDURA has specifically elected NOT to have such chemicals added to its
foam. Instead,
NUDURA has elected to provide externally applied termite barriers (i.e. Term-imesh™ and
Polyguard™ XT Membranes) for the handling of protection of the foam plastic from
insect
penetration in these locations as is required and accepted by local Building Codes.
This assures a
safe environment for all human and animal occupants both inside and outside of the
building.
Fungal Resistance- Recent serious issues arising within more humid climates
associated with
EIFS applications to frame structures have generated immense concerns for human
health within
these kinds of buildings where inspections have uncovered massive amounts of
evidence of mold,
mildew and spore growth. In the interest of combating these concerns, the
Expanded Polystyrene
Manufacturers Association (EPSMA) has sponsored Fungi Resistance testing to a
variety of
-9members EPS foam samples. (See Section 6: Tab 24). The testing clearly
corroborated that
when tested in accordance with ASTM C1338-00, the samples did NOT propagate
any mold
growth, thus verifying that the product not only does not EMIT pollutants but cannot
propagate
the growth of unsafe environmental contaminants as well (See Test at Tab 25).
Though we recognize that traditionally, Building Green has not listed this particular
aspect of ICF
construction as a Green Building attribute or feature, on the basis of the submitted
testing,
NUDURA respectfully asks that Building Green give due re-consideration of
classification and
approval of NUDURA ICFs as meeting the requirements for qualification under this
section thus
enabling eligibility for LEED Credit EQ 4 for our