Advances in the Toxicity of Construction and Building Materials

by F. Pacheco-Torgal (Editor), Joseph O. Falkinham (Editor), Jerzy Galaj (Editor)

Overview

Advances in the Toxicity of Construction and Building Materials presents the potential and toxic effects of building materials on human health, along with tactics on how to minimize exposure. Chapters are divided into four sections covering the toxicity of indoor environments, fire toxicity, radioactive materials, and toxicity from plastics, metals, asbestos, nanoparticles and construction wastes. Key chapters focus on the reduction of chemical emissions in houses with eco-labelled building materials and potential risks posed by indoor pollutants that may include volatile organic compounds (VOC), formaldehyde, semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOC), radon, NOx, asbestos and nanoparticles. Known illnesses and reactions that can be triggered by these toxic building materials include asthma, itchiness, burning eyes, skin irritations or rashes, nose and throat irritation, nausea, headaches, dizziness, fatigue, reproductive impairment, disruption of the endocrine system, impaired child development and birth defects, immune system suppression, and even cancer. - Provides an essential guide to the potential toxic effects of building materials on human health - Comprehensively examines materials responsible for formaldehyde and volatile organic compound emissions, as well as semi-volatile organic compounds - Presents coverage on fire toxicity and an evaluation of the radioactivity of building materials - Includes several cases studies throughout and addresses current international standards

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780323852913
Publisher:	Woodhead Publishing, Limited
Publication date:	03/05/2022
Series:	Woodhead Publishing Series in Civil and Structural Engineering
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	346
File size:	29 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Dr. F. Pacheco Torgal is a Principal Investigator at the University of Minho in Portugal. He holds the title of Counsellor at the Portuguese Engineers Association. He is a member of the editorial boards for nine international journals. Over the last 10 years he has participated in the research decision for more than 460 papers and has also acted as a Foreign Expert on the evaluation of 22 PhD thesis. Over the last 10 years he has also been a Member of the Scientific Committees for more than 60 conferences, most of them held in Asian countries. He is also a grant assessor for several scientific institutions in 15 countries, including the UK, US, Netherlands, China, France, Australia, Kazakhstan, Belgium, Spain, Czech Republic, Chile, Saudi Arabia, UA. Emirates, Croatia, Poland, and the EU Commission. In the last 10 years, he reviewed more than 70 research projects.
Dr Falkinham is a professor of microbiology in the Department of Biological Sciences at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. His research interests include the epidemiology of Mycobacterium avium, metal oxidation and reduction in biofilms and predatory bacteria ecology
Dr. Jerzy GALAJ is a head of Hydromechanics and Fire Water Supply Institute of Fire Technique Department at the Main School of Fire Service, Slowackiego Str. 52/54 Warsaw Poland.

Table of Contents

Part I: Indoor Air Contaminants from Building Materials1. Toxicity of formaldehyde, polybrominated diphenyl ethers and phthalates in engineered wood2. Chemical emissions reduced in houses with eco-labelled building materials3. A method for early detection and identification of fungal contamination of building materials4. Natural materials associated microbiome toxicity Part II: Fire Toxicity of Building Materials5. Fire behaviour of modern façade materials6. Fire safety challenges of external foam plastic insulated buildings7. Toxic gas emissions from plywood fires8. Impact of apartment tightness on the concentrations of toxic gases emitted during a fire9. Investigation on the fire hazard of hybrid polymer materials based on the test of smoke toxicity10. Estimating toxic harmfulness of combustion products on building materials Part III: Radioactive Building Materials1. Evaluation of radioactivity from commercial construction materials and its radon exhalation implications on residents12. Radioactivity of phosphogypsum based bricks13. Coal bottom ash natural radioactivity in building materials14. Radioactivity of Malaysia's building materials containing NORM and potential radiological risks15. Radioactivity of ceramic tiles used in some Saudi Arabian buildings16. Radioactivity of construction and demolition waste Part IV: Toxicity of Plastics, Metals, Asbestos, Nanoparticles and of Construction Wastes Reuse17. Toxicity of plastic materials18. Toxicity of metal-based materials19. Toxicity of asbestos in buildings20. Potential risks posed by the use of nano-enabled construction products21. Nanoparticles from construction wastes22. Toxicity of concrete containing hazardous wastes23. Immobilization of toxic was in geopolymers24. Risk management of hazardous substances in a circular economy  

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From the Publisher

An essential guide on the potential toxic effects of building materials on human health that also covers how to minimize these effects