Children spend about 85 percent of their time indoors, where the air is two to five times more polluted than the outdoor air. As a result, they face long-term health risks due to indoor air pollution resulting from the myriad of everyday products in our home including furnishings, electronics, appliances and cleaners. Products such as furniture, flooring, paints, computers, mattresses and cleaning chemicals can add indoor pollutants including formaldehyde and other volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the air that children breathe. Parents, consumers and specifiers can be assured that products bearing the GREENGUARD Children and SchoolsSM certified mark have been independently tested and meet some of the most rigorous chemical emissions standard in the world.
The GREENGUARD Children & Schools standard, introduced in 2005 by the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute (GEI), takes into account the special sensitivities of children. The standard requires that everyday products meet strict emission levels of pollutants including VOCs, formaldehyde and phthalates. Currently, more than 170 manufacturers have certified over 200,000 products to the GREENGUARD Children & Schools standard. These certified products including baby cribs, mattresses, countertops, paints and adhesives, insulations and wood flooring have much lower chemical emissions than traditional non-certified products.
The following links provide some very important information on children’s health and why indoor air quality must be protected.
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