1. Are our homes making us sick? Creating Healthy Co-ops Centre for Equality Rights in Accommodation CHFC AGM June 10, 2010

2. Agenda  Introductions  Indoor Air Quality: Overview  Poor IAQ: The Main Culprits  Creating Healthy Housing: Strategies  Environmental Sensitivities and the Law  Products and Resources  Next Steps  Evaluation Are our homes making us sick?

3. Indoor Air Quality How to battle bad air in your home: What you put in your home and how you clean it will affect the quality of your indoor air -- and your health In the outdoors, unwanted irritants such as pollen, exhaust or cigarette smoke can be unpleasant, but ignored. But when they infiltrate your home, it can affect your health. As Canadians spend more than 90 per cent of their time inside buildings, indoor air quality is extremely important, but it's something most people know little about. Are our homes making us sick?

4. Indoor Air Quality Your home can make you ill: Cleaning products and mould can make you sick; poor ventilation, chemicals don't help Lisa Borden was at a loss over what to do about her newborn daughter's eczema, which persisted despite several months of treatment with a prescribed ointment. It was her father, a physician, who suggested that the skin condition might be an allergic reaction to a household detergent or chemical. Are our homes making us sick?

5. Indoor Air Quality Domestic Detox: Extreme Home Cleaning WHEN Matthew Waletzke appeared at the door of my East Village apartment to evaluate my home for what he calls “toxic exposure” — the alternative world’s catch-all phrase for potential health hazards like mold, indoor air pollution, household chemicals and electromagnetic radiation (beware your Wi-Fi!) — I half-expected to see a guy in an “Andromeda Strain”- era hazmat suit. Are our homes making us sick?

6. Indoor Air Quality  Among top 5 environmental risks to public health (EPA)  IAQ can be substantially worse than outdoor air (2 to 5 X)  30% of buildings have IAQ problems (WHO) Are our homes making us sick?

7. Medical Consequences  Eye, nose and throat irritation; coughing; headaches; fatigue; rashes; etc.  Asthma  Respiratory illnesses  Sick Building Syndrome  Allergies  Chemical/environmental sensitivities  Certain cancers Are our homes making us sick?

8. Particularly Vulnerable Residents  Pregnant women  Infants and children  The elderly  People with existing respiratory conditions or chemical sensitivities Are our homes making us sick?

9. Poor IAQ: Some Culprits Are our homes making us sick?

10. Poor IAQ: Some Culprits  Substances that release Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC’s): Cleaning products (especially scented products) Carpeting, vinyl tiles and adhesives Wood composites used in cabinetry and furniture Paints, varnishes, wood strippers, sealants Air fresheners Scented personal care products (70% of asthma attacks from perfume) Are our homes making us sick?

11. Poor IAQ: Some Culprits  Exhaust fumes and tobacco smoke  Gas appliances  Dust, pollens and pet dander  Pesticides and lawn fertilizers  Mould and mildew  Electromagnetic fields  Poor ventilation**  air transfer between units Are our homes making us sick?

12. Creating Healthy Housing: Principles  Reduce/eliminate source of contaminants  Remove existing contaminants  Reduce transfer of existing contaminants  Provide an adequate supply of clean, fresh air Are our homes making us sick?

13. Creating Healthy Housing: Strategies  Use unscented, non-toxic cleaning products  Remove odours through cleaning and ventilation  Reduce use of pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers  Use solid hardwood, glass or metal as much as possible (or formaldehyde-free plywood, etc.)  Avoid aromatic woods (pine/cedar) Are our homes making us sick?

14. Creating Healthy Housing: Strategies  Use ceramic tile, brick, polished concrete or hardwood as flooring wherever possible (or natural, low emission carpets that are cleaned frequently)  Use readily available low or no-VOC paints and finishes (be careful of tints)  Sometimes it is better not to renovate Are our homes making us sick?

15. Creating Healthy Housing: Strategies  Maintain corridor (and parking garage) ventilation systems**  Ensure kitchen and exhaust fans working properly  Properly seal units  Contain and ventilate work areas  Provide adequate notice before major cleaning/repairs Are our homes making us sick?

16. Creating Healthy Housing: Strategies  Address water “events” quickly  Regularly inspect for mould growth and remove with a non-toxic product (not bleach)  Institute a no-idling rule  Institute a scent-free policy for staff/contractors  Educate members on use of scented personal care products  Designate one elevator as “scent free”  No smoking policies? Are our homes making us sick?

17. Environmental Sensitivities  Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Environmental Illness, Chemical Injury, Environmental Hypersensitivity, etc.  Sensitive to environmental contaminants at levels tolerated by the “average” person  About 3% of Canadians over 30 diagnosed with ES  As many as 4 million Canadians likely have chemical sensitivities  Predominantly women (60-80% in various surveys) Are our homes making us sick?

18. Environmental Sensitivities  Poorly understood  Now widely recognized as a disability  Can develop as a result of major exposure  For most, develops gradually as a result of cumulative exposure  “Canaries in the coal mine” Are our homes making us sick?

19. Environmental Sensitivities  Severity varies significantly  Symptoms Include: headaches, shortness of breath, abdominal pain, fatigue, muscle spasms, difficulty walking and with fine motor skills, nausea, irregular heartbeat, hives, high blood pressure, difficulty concentrating, and anxiety and depression  Symptoms worse with continued exposure  Treatment: remove source of symptoms Are our homes making us sick?

20. ES and the Law  Considered a disability under human rights legislation  Housing providers (including co- ops) have a duty to accommodate the particular needs of members with disabilities  This could involve changing policies, procedures, structures, etc.  Cost to be borne by the co-op Are our homes making us sick?

21. Members with ES: Special Considerations  Consult when using new cleaning/building materials  Advance notice before major cleaning/renovation very important  Provide separate laundry facilities or allow to have laundry in own unit  Avoid gas appliances  Many people with ES also sensitive to fluorescent lights Are our homes making us sick?

22. Products  Beware of “Greenwashing”  “Green” does not necessarily mean healthy  Cleaning Products ECOgent (www.ecogent.ca) Nature Clean (www.naturecleanliving.com) MASS Environmental Biodegradable Cleaning Products (www.massenv.com) AFM SafeChoice (www.afmsafecoat.com) Eco Mist “Pro Solutions” (www.ecomistsolutions.com) Are our homes making us sick?

23. Products  Mould Tri-Sodium Posphate Hydrogen Peroxide Concrobium (www.concrobium.com)  Paints and Finishes Benjamin Moore Natura Lines AFM Safecoat paints Z-Coat Zero VOC Paint (www.generalpaint.com) Olympic Paints Premier Line (www.olympic.com) Are our homes making us sick?

24. Products  Caulking Adbond (www.dutab.com) AFM Safecoat Caulking Compound  Walls Murco M-100 Hypo Allergenic Joint and Stucco compound (www.murcowall.com)  Flooring Finitec Canada (www.finitec-inc.com) AFM Flooring Products Eco Timber Flooring (www.ecotimber.com) Flor (low VOC carpet tiles) (www.flor.com) Are our homes making us sick?

25. Resources  CMHC (www.schl.gc.ca)  Health Canada (www.hc-sc.gc.ca)  US Environmental Protection Agency (www.epa.gov)  Green Communities Canada (greencommunitiescanada.org) Are our homes making us sick?

26. Resources  Guide to Less Toxic Products (www.lesstoxicguide.ca)  Washington Toxics Coalition (www.watoxics.org)  Earth Easy (www.eartheasy.com)  Environmental Health Associations across Canada Are our homes making us sick?