The common belief that air pollution is a risk only faced outside is simply not true. Indoor air can also be polluted, and can negatively affect our health and wellbeing. Vapours, moulds, smoke, and the various chemicals used in certain paints, furnishings, and cleaners all affect the quality of the air. We have the power to minimise indoor air pollution by choosing products that don't contain harmful substances. Indoor air quality starts long before the construction of the building! We can plan indoor air comfort into a building, and our insulation solutions fit perfectly into this design.
Our ECOSE® Technology, the formaldehyde-free binder technology we use to produce our rock and glass mineral wool insulation, was revolutionary back in 2009, but today it has become standard and a second name for indoor air quality in the insulation business. Our Mineral Wool with ECOSE® Technology was awarded Eurofins first Indoor Air Comfort Gold certificate for indoor air quality, and is certified as an ‘outstanding material’ according to the Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) Indoor Air Quality emissions certification standard and criteria.
How does indoor air become polluted?
Particles of dust and exhaled CO2 are commonly known components of poor indoor air, but VOCs – Volatile Organic Compounds – are the main causes of poor indoor air quality. VOCs are chemicals that evaporate at room temperature, becoming vapours or gases. They can be found in building materials, paint, office printers and furnishings, as well as in products we use daily, such as cleaning materials.
Poor indoor air quality affects our health and wellbeing
We all spend a lot of our time indoors, and as buildings are becoming more airtight, there is reasonable concern about how poor air quality affects our health and wellbeing. It has been proven that VOCs and indoor air pollution can have long-term consequences on the health of a building’s installers, and later on its occupiers. The most common consequences are nausea, skin and eye irritation, headaches, and asthma.
For this reason the construction sector is under pressure to reduce the sources of VOCs in buildings. NICE (National Institute of Health & Care) guidelines recommend architects, builders, developers and landlords favour materials that only emit low levels of VOCs.
There has already been a significant impact on the paint industry, where changes in regulation have resulted in the development of low-VOC paints. These new paints are now increasingly popular with consumers. The lesson to be learned here is definitely that VOC emissions are something to consider when deciding which materials and products to specify and install in order to keep in step with modern regulations and customer demands.
Our solution for better indoor air quality
ECOSE® Technology was first introduced by Knauf Insulation in 2009, and its light brown colour became the poster-child of sustainability and care for the health and wellbeing of people in the insulation industry. The colour simply reflects the fact that we use no artificial dyes or chemicals that would discolour the fibres. There are no added acrylics or formaldehyde in our solutions.
Insulation solutions with ECOSE® Technology deliver outstanding thermal, acoustic, and fire-resistant performance. Not only do they keep up with other insulation products, our insulation solutions with ECOSE® Technology excel in every way. On top of this, the products are easier to manage, less itchy and more pleasant-smelling than conventional insulation materials.
Our care for a healthy indoors resulted in a gold award
Eurofins Indoor Air Quality criteria demonstrate compliance with many voluntary indoor air quality certification schemes, such as Blue Angel in Germany and M1 in Finland. The Eurofins standard is also recognised by most of the Green Building Rating Schemes, including BREEAM, LEED, WELL and DGNB.
The range of our Technical Solutions products with ECOSE® Technology have been awarded an Indoor Air Comfort Gold by Eurofins as low emitting materials, and are certified according to RAL and EUCEB quality standards. This means that they are compliant with the most stringent national regulations on product emissions.
At Knauf Insulation we are excited to be a part of the eminent group of producers recognised by Eurofins. Together we are building a brighter and healthier future for everyone. You can find the list of Indoor Air Comfort Gold and Indoor Air Comfort Certified Products here.
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