Library

Resource listing products that use PFAS-free, alternative substances, including carpet, sealers, and furniture.

This guide defines the core information that building project teams need to know to make the consideration of human health and environmental issues a systematic part of building materials specification, purchasing, and use.

The Healthy Home Guides provide advice and guidance on hazardous chemicals to avoid in different types of building materials. The guides include key product features to look out for and recommended alternatives that are healthier and more sustainable.

This handbook is aimed at helping the American architecture and construction sectors select healthier and more sustainable  materials for their projects. The handbook outlines guidelines for evaluating and selecting materials based on factors such as lifecycle assessment, material transparency, and health and wellness impacts. It also suggests useful tools and provides examples from case studies.

PFAS chemicals are found in many product types, including in adhesives, carpets and paints.  The PFAS Guide from ChemSec provides a tool to determine where PFAS may be found, and guidance on regulations, substitution, and engaging the supply chain.

OECD assists countries in developing and harmonising methods for assessing risk to human health and the environment, including methodologies for hazard and exposure assessment.  A range of resources on chemical assessment are available, including a Manual for the assessment of chemicals, Guidance on grouping of chemicals and a Risk Assessment Toolkit.

Legislation is not in place in every country to manage chemicals of concern.  The OECD Compare your Country Interactive mapping tool shows where legislation is in place and in development to manage industrial and consumer chemicals. 

The tool also includes a series of country profiles, providing details of legislation, the year of adoption and the approximate number of industrial chemicals assessed per year.

Safer States is an alliance of diverse environmental health organizations and coalitions from across the United States committed to building a healthier world.  The website features an interactive map showing chemical-related policies, including those related to building materials.  A Bill Tracker provides further detail of the action taken by individual states to regulate chemicals, covering PFAS, toxic flame retardants, heavy metals, BPA and phthalates.