How Your Home's Materials Affect the Air You Breathe
Imagine moving into your dream home, with fresh paint, new cabinets, and gleaming floors—only to find yourself developing headaches, fatigue, and respiratory issues whenever you're inside. This wasn't haunted house syndrome, but something equally invisible: a chemical onslaught from the very materials that constituted her new living space. As we increasingly seal our buildings for energy efficiency, we're creating environments where chemical emissions from construction materials accumulate in our air—with potentially serious consequences for our health and wellbeing.
According to World Health Organization data released in 2020, household air pollution was estimated to cause 3.2 million deaths annually worldwide, including over 237,000 deaths in children under five 1 .
"While we often associate air pollution with outdoor smog and vehicle emissions, the building materials in our homes and offices continuously release a complex mixture of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that contribute to what scientists call the 'indoor chemical ecosystem.'"
Volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, are chemicals that evaporate from certain solids or liquids at room temperature 6 . They're not just laboratory curiosities—thousands of these chemicals are emitted by common household products and building materials, from the paint on our walls to the adhesives holding our furniture together.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has found that concentrations of many VOCs are consistently higher indoors—up to ten times higher—than outdoors 6 .
The health impacts of VOC exposure range from immediately noticeable to long-term concerns:
High VOC concentrations are particularly prevalent in newly decorated buildings 1 . The materials used in newly constructed or renovated buildings—paints, adhesives, wood composites, flooring, and cabinets—can introduce significant quantities of VOCs, leading to deteriorated indoor air quality just as we're making our environments more airtight for energy efficiency.
Scientists have discovered that modern buildings continually release volatile chemicals into the outdoor atmosphere through ventilation systems 8 . In fact, per unit area, building emissions of VOCs are comparable to traffic, industrial, and biogenic emissions—meaning our buildings have become significant players in urban air quality challenges.
Highest VOC levels are typically found immediately after construction or renovation.
Most materials off-gas significantly during this period, with levels gradually decreasing.
Some materials continue to emit VOCs at lower levels for years.
In response to these concerns, natural building materials like earth plasters, wood fiber boards, and bio-based insulation have gained attention for their potential to improve indoor air quality while maintaining low environmental impact .
To better understand VOC emissions from building materials, researchers conducted an innovative study comparing emissions from conventional and natural building materials 1 . Rather than testing materials in isolation, they examined complete wall assemblies to capture the complex interactions that occur in actual buildings.
The research team selected eight target building materials commonly used in different construction stages: wall adhesive, gypsum plaster, putty, wall paint, wood-based panels, wood flooring, skirting boards, and wallpaper 1 . These represented the primary materials used in construction stages from initial wall preparation to final finishes.
| Material Type | Dominant VOC Categories |
|---|---|
| Wood-Based Panels | Aldehydes, Aromatics |
| Wall Paint | Alkanes, Aromatics |
| Wood Flooring | Aldehydes, Alkanes |
| Skirting Board | Aldehydes, Alkanes |
| Wallpaper | Alcohols, Esters |
High TVOC and formaldehyde emissions
High ImpactVery high TVOC emissions initially
High ImpactModerate but persistent emissions
Medium ImpactLimited VOC emissions
Low ImpactVery low emissions, excellent performance
RecommendedLow emissions, good performance
RecommendedAldehydes were the dominant VOC emitted from most materials, accounting for an average of 35.21% of total VOC emissions at 24 hours 1 .
Natural materials generally performed well, with 17 out of 19 sample build-ups passing the rigorous AgBB health-based evaluation scheme .
To conduct this type of research, scientists rely on specialized equipment and methodologies:
Enclosed testing spaces that simulate indoor conditions without real-world variables.
Identifies and quantifies specific VOCs, providing chemical "fingerprinting" of emissions.
Determines which chemicals contribute to perceptible odors, connecting measurements to human experience.
Health-based assessment of emission data with standardized methodology for safety determination.
Detects emission of this radioactive gas, addressing a critical health hazard from certain materials.
Tracks how emissions change over time, from initial high levels to long-term low-level release.
The research points to several clear strategies for improving our indoor air quality:
Exciting innovations are emerging that could transform how we think about building materials and indoor air quality:
The Flue2Chem project is developing ways to convert captured carbon emissions into household products 2 .
Researchers are enhancing traditional materials with additives to improve functionality while maintaining low emissions .
More standardized evaluation schemes and regulations aimed at ensuring healthier indoor environments .
Growing number of third-party certifications help consumers identify low-emitting products.
The materials we choose for our interiors represent a silent conversation between our built environment and our bodies—a chemical dialogue that occurs with every breath we take indoors. As research continues to reveal the complex relationships between building materials, VOC emissions, and human health, we're gaining the knowledge needed to make smarter choices that protect both our personal wellbeing and our planetary health.
The path forward doesn't require us to abandon modern building materials, but rather to approach material selection with greater awareness and scientific understanding. By choosing low-emitting materials, ensuring proper ventilation, and supporting continued innovation in sustainable material design, we can create indoor environments that truly support our health and wellbeing—spaces where the air is as carefully considered as the aesthetics.
The next time you step inside a building, take a deep breath—and consider the invisible chemical world that breath contains, and how science is working to make it cleaner and safer for us all.