&EPA
www.epa.gov
.ology Verification Program
E
Environmental and Sustainable Technology Evaluations (ESTE):
Verification of Microbial Resistant Building Materials
Impact Statement
Many of the finished interior surfaces of homes and
buildings are composed of materials that are prone to
mold growth. These surfaces include gypsum board,
wood flooring, insulation, and components of the
heating and air conditioning system. As an example, the
United States produces an estimated 30 million tons of
gypsum board annually. Demand for gypsum products
in the U.S., Canada and Mexico will continue to grow.
Currently, each year, 3-5 million tons of gypsum board
ends up as scrap material and disposed of in landfills
with much of this scrap the result of moisture and mold
problems. Mold, being ubiquitous, can be found in any
non-sterile environment, while upwards of 40% of all
homes in North America contain fungal growth on
many different building components.
The goal of this project is to develop a testing protocol
and use it to test the performance of mold resistant
building products. The information collected using this
protocol is intended to be used by building
professionals and the consumer public, enabling them to
make informed decisions about the use of different
building products, while simultaneously lowering the
amount of scrap material that needs to be landfilled.
Background
Building materials often become wet, resulting in mold growth that leads to health and productivity
impacts, as well as liability and lawsuits. The rapid growth and dispersion of mold can induce allergy and
asthma episodes, and sometimes produce severe illnesses including pulmonary, immunologic,
neurological and oncogenic disorders.
Removal of growth substrates from building materials, or the incorporation of antimicrobial agents in the
manufacturing of building products may prevent mold growth and the spread of biological contaminants.
There are several building products readily available that can reduce mold growth in the indoor
environment. However, there is no nationally accepted testing and verification program to guide
consumers and building professionals on how to select or specify the best building products for their
needs. To help fill this need, EPA started an ESTE project to verify the performance of microbial resistant
building products. EPA has contracted with RTI International to develop the protocol and perform the
testing needed to verify these products.
ETV Program
The ETV Program operates as a public-private
partnership mainly through cooperative
agreements between EPA and private nonprofit
testing and evaluation organizations. These ETV
verification organizations work with EPA
technology experts to create efficient and
quality-assured testing procedures that verify the
performance of innovative technologies. ETV
operates six centers which cover a broad range
of environmental technology categories.
Vendors and others in the private sector, as well
as federal, state and local government agencies,
cost-share with EPA to complete priority ETV
protocols and verifications. In 2005, a new
element of ETV was initiated, Environmental
and Sustainable Technology Evaluations
(ESTE), in which the most important technology
categories for meeting EPA needs are verified
through contracts with verification
organizations. As an Agency priority, EPA has
developed an ESTE project to verify the
performance of microbial resistant building
products. See http://www.epa.gov/etv/este.html
for more information.
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Objectives
The objective of this verification project is to evaluate various microbial resistant building products that
are currently being marketed. Manufacturers have come up with different methods of controlling or
eliminating microbial growth on these products, including removing microbial growth substrates and
adding antimicrobial compounds to the products. The evaluation of building products will include the
following:
• Ability of various building products to support fungal (mold) growth
• Resistance to moisture uptake
• Volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions
• Sustainability criteria.
Status
The test/quality assurance plan (T/QAP) has been written for verification of microbial resistant gypsum
wallboard. This plan covers the test methods and the quality assurance processes for testing these
products. It was developed based on input provided by RTI, EPA, stakeholders, and vendors. This T/QAP
will be posted on the ETV Web site and may be used to verify gypsum products in the future. EPA plans
to estimate reductions in solid waste due to the measured microbial resistance of the wallboard.
Microbial resistant flooring, duct liners, and insulation materials have also been targeted for verification
under this project. Stakeholder and vendor groups have been formed to provide insight and review during
the development of the T/QAPS for these products. Stage 3 (testing and verification) funding is in place
and product testing is scheduled to begin in Fall 2008. Initial products to be tested are Armaflex duct liner
(Armacell), Lonwood Dakota flooring (Lonseal, Inc.), and Premium Plus insulation (Amerrock Products,
LP). The T/QAP for wallboard will be modified to test these products. Testing is planned to be completed
by the end of 2008 with verification reports finalized by Spring 2009.
For further information contact:
Timothy R. Dean, Ph.D.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Research and Development
National Risk Management Research Laboratory
Mail Drop E305-03
Research Triangle Park, NC 27711
Phone: 919-541-2304 Fax: 919-541-2157
e-mail: dean.timothy@epa.gov
www.epa.gov/etv
December 2008
EPA/600/S-08/027
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