With striking parallels to the way we are loading the atmosphere with climate change gases much faster than the atmosphere can handle them, industry is generating an increasing number of persistent, bioaccumulative toxic chemicals (PBTs) that don’t break down rapidly in the environment, and concentrate as they move up the food chain and into our bodies. Dioxins from PVC manufacture, halogenated flame retardants, perfluorinated chemicals in our stain repellants and more. We’ve been developing new chemicals (some 80 to 100 thousand now) far faster than we can test and regulate them for their effects on cancer, development endocrine disruption and more.

In the Pharos Project, we are developing tools to help you sort through the chemical soup created modern materials. Check out our report on flooring materials (http://www.healthybuilding.net/news/090521resilient_flooring_paper.html) to get an idea of how we are uncovering and evaluating chemical hazards up and down the material life cycle. We’ll be back in this space later in the year with more news about Pharos.