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Analyses of construction materials
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LCA
A life cycle assessment (LCA) is the assessment of the environmental impact of a given product or service throughout its lifespan. When assessing the life cycle of a building, it is common to study the building linearly, i.e., it is assumed to be built, used and demolished. In reality, a building changes continuously, is rebuilt and extended, which must all be considered in the assessment.
When assessing the life cycle of a building, it is considered until it finally reaches a landfill. One of the environmental goals of the construction industry is to decrease the amount and the hazards of the waste from construction activities.
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SEALANT
Sealants with PCB can be found in buildings indoors as well as outdoors, e.g., between concrete elements and around doors and windows. PCB was added as a plasticizer in polysulfide based sealants in concentrations between approximately 5 and 30%. A non-polysulfide based sealant may be contaminated and still contain PCB.
Polysulfide based sealants often contain lead, added as a hardener. These sealants are also regarded as hazardous waste, even if they do not contain PCB, and must be deposited as lead-containing waste.
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IMPREGNATED WOOD
Chemical wood preservatives protect the wood by its toxic effect, and thus often have negative environmental impacts. CCA preservatives contains copper, chromium and arsenic, while CCP preservatives contain copper, chromium and boron.
Creosote is manufactured from the distillation of coal tar and contains several hundred compounds. Many of these are toxic. The main components include polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), some heterocyclic compounds and phenols.
Chemical wood preservatives can cause cancer, reproductive disorders, corrosion injuries and allergies. They contain non-degradable compounds that persist in the environment after the wood has been discarded. |
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ASBESTOS
Until the mid 1970s, asbestos was used in, e.g., insulation, floor tiles, floor adhesives and joint compunds. In other materials, e.g., fire proofing, asbestos was used, given special conditions, until the late 1990s. Today, asbestos is prohibited in all construction materials, since it after long-term exposure can cause various lung diseases, asbestisis and cancer.
Asbestos is a group of several fibrous minerals. Crocidolite (blue asbestos) is regarded the most hazardous type. Other types include chrysotile (white asbestos) and amosite (brown asbestos).
More information about asbestos can be found on www.asbestos-laboratory.com
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FREONS
The use of freons has almost been completely phased out, but diffuse discharges continue of compounds that have long been stored in, e.g., insulation, distant heating systems and cooling refrigerating plants. In particular, this is true for CFC and HCFC. There is a lack of information about how much freons that were actually used for insulation in buildings and other constructions until the use of freons was banned in 1995. According to the Swedish EPA, there is still a considerable amount of freons present in plastics for insulation and in various older refrigeration systems. |
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