Red List: worst offenders
It’s not enough to say certain materials should not be used just because they are on the Red List. Understanding their levels of toxicity and where these materials have the greatest impacts helps drive a desire to find better alternatives. The worst offenders on the Red List are defined by chemical categories.
Antimicrobials are chemicals designed to kill or inhibit the growth of bacteria, frequently used in soaps. They were banned in the US in 2016. Antimicrobials are increasingly used in building materials as a preservative and in items such as countertops, paints and doorknobs. Some antimicrobials are endocrine disruptors and have been shown to impair learning and weaken muscle function.
Alkylphenols and related compounds are a large family of organic compounds used in a variety of products including cleaning, beauty, contraceptives, coatings, fragrances, thermoplastics, carbonless copy paper and agrochemicals. Of most concern are alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEs), which have been shown to cause endocrine disruption in fish. APEs in cleaning products end up in waterways and wastewater treatment effluent.
Asbestos compounds: Asbestos is a mineral fibre used in a variety of construction materials including wall insulation, vinyl floor coverings, paint compounds, roofing and heat-resistant products as well as automobile brakes. Exposure to asbestos fibres is a known human carcinogen. Workers can be exposed during demolition, building or repair of material containing asbestos.
Bisphenol A (BPA) and Structural Analogues: Bisphenol A (BPA) is used to manufacture polycarbonate (clear, hard) plastics and epoxy resins. BPA is used in many consumer products such as drink bottles, DVDs, eyeglass lenses, electronics, car parts and other products that don’t break easily while epoxy resins are used for lining food cans and water pipes and sales receipts. BPA has potential impacts on the brains, behaviour and prostate glands of foetuses, infants and small children.
Chlorinated polymers including PVC, PVDC, Chloroprene (Neoprene Monomer) and CPVC:
PVC is a known human carcinogen and often contains other Red List ingredients such as cadmium, lead and phthalates. The manufacture and disposal of chlorinated polymers can result in dioxins, which are some of the most potent toxins known to humans while remaining highly persistent in the environment.
Chlorobenzenes are used primarily as a solvent, a degreaser for auto parts and as an intermediary for making other chemicals. The risk to workers is primarily through fumes. Short-term they can cause headaches, sleepiness, nausea, numbness, muscle spasms, even unconsciousness. Long-term they can cause neuro-toxicity and irritation of the upper respiratory tract.
Chloroflourocarbons (CFCs) and Hydrochloroflourocarbons (HCFCs): Depletion of the Earth’s protective ozone layer by CFCs is responsible for an increased incidence of skin cancer, cataracts, impairment of the human immune system and damage to wildlife. HCFCs are potent ozone-depleting compounds.
Formaldehyde: This chemical is a known human carcinogen. In the short-term formaldehyde is a known asthma trigger while long-term exposure is associated with nasal cancers and leukemia.
Monomeric, polymeric and organophosphate halogenated flame retardants (HFRs): HFRs include PBDE, TBBPA, HBCD, Deca-BDE, TCPP, TCEP, Dechlorane Plus and there are many products, including virtually all foam insulations, that contain HFRs. HFRs are persistent bio-accumulative toxins, reaching alarmingly high levels as they travel up the food chain, and can have adverse effects on neurological development, reproduction, thyroid hormone disruption and possible liver toxicity.
Organotin compounds are a class of substances containing a bond between tin and carbon, which are used in the production of PVC, silicone rubber and polyurethane. Exposure can cause eye irritation, memory loss and liver damage.
Perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) are chemical compounds with many uses including as surface treatments that repel water and stains, acids used in chemistry and research, and for use in some medical imaging devices. Many PFCs are greenhouse gases and bio-accumulate in the environment.
Phthalates (Orthopthalates): The use of phthalates in children’s products is banned in many countries because of their endocrine disrupting nature, which has implications for child and reproductive development, as well as cancer links.
Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) are used to make coolants, lubricants and insulators for electrical equipment. They are known to cause cancer in animals and are likely human carcinogens. People typically exposed to PCBs include those who worked in the electrical industry years ago, lived close to manufacturing sites or ate contaminated fish.
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) are used in the manufacture of certain dyes. They are a group of chemicals often produced by the incomplete combustion of organic material, particularly wood or fossil fuels, and are most commonly inhaled in tobacco smoke, or smoke from indoor stoves using wood or coal fuel or ingested in burnt meat.
Short-Chain and Medium-Chain Chlorinated Paraffins (SCCPs & MCCPs): SCCPs are most commonly used as lubricants and coolants in metal cutting and forming operations and are also used with MCCPs in plastics such as PVC. Exposure can be occupational, through contaminated food or skin contact. The toxic effects on mammals include liver, hormone and kidney damage.
Toxic Heavy Materials: Arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead and mercury are all toxic heavy materials and all pose a number of threats to health such as various cancers, developmental issues, lung and kidney damage, bone loss, breathing problems, digestive problems, hypertension and immune system problems, even leading to death. Lead exposure is damaging to virtually every organ and system in the human body, in particular the brain and central nervous system.
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) in Wet Applied Products: VOCs are organic chemicals that can evaporate into the air causing photochemical smog. On-site wet applied products such as paints, adhesives and sealants can impact the health of installers who may not use breathing or skin protection.
Wood Treatments Containing Creosote or Pentachlorophenol: Wood treatments are effective at retarding rot and preventing insect damage, but that also means they damage many other life forms. Creosote is associated with skin and scrotum cancer in humans and Pentachlorophenol is linked to liver and immune system damage in humans and reproductive and thyroid damage in animals.
The Greensheet
The issue with many chemicals on the Red List is that they are commonly found in construction materials because they are useful and cheap. Products containing Red List chemicals are also more widely available than products that don’t contain Red List chemicals.
But alternatives are available. To help construction workers in all aspects of the creation of Burwood Brickworks Shopping Centre, Frasers Property compiled a materials green list - a sustainable product database - referred to as the Greensheet. Nothing like the Greensheet has ever existed for the Australian construction industry before. In the lead up to the launch of Burwood Brickworks Shopping Centre in December 2019, access to the Greensheet provided designers, retailers, and construction workers with real alternatives that were not just better for the environment, but better for their own health.
In an effort to provide greater awareness and education across the construction industry, Frasers Property made Greensheet (current as at December 2019) available to everyone:
View Greensheet
