RETHINK ‘FRESH AIR'
Bloomberg Businessweek|April 13, 2020
Decorators get hip to off-gassing. By Joe Harper
Joe Harper
RETHINK ‘FRESH AIR'

Like many interior designers, Brigette Romanek loves a high-gloss paint—a lacquer finish so shiny you can see your reflection in it. But the Los Angeles decorator had to rethink her methods after she gave her usual treatment to the interior walls of a home in Hancock Park and her clients almost fell ill from the smell.

She’d expected the fumes to dissipate by the time they returned from vacation more than a week later, but she quickly realized one’s sense of smell isn’t always the best judge of air quality. “Right then and there, something clicked,” says Romanek, who’s worked with the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow and Beyoncé and Jay-Z. “My clients had fresh noses, but I had gotten used to it—that was the danger.”

Romanek has since joined a growing number of designers, manufacturers, and real estate developers who’ve been paying closer attention to air quality inside the home long before the novel coronavirus made 6 feet of fresh air de rigueur.

Much of the effort so far is to counteract the insidious consequences of “off-gassing.” Many common consumer products emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs)—potentially harmful gases such as benzene and formaldehyde that are mostly undetectable to the senses —into the air at home. The process can last years.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says these pollutants can negatively affect immunity and respiratory and cardiovascular health, and some may even cause cancer. One EPA study found the levels of some VOCs were “two to five timeshigher inside homes than outside,” no matter if they were in rural or highly industrial areas. On average, the agency said, Americans spend 90% of their time indoors (in good times).

この記事は Bloomberg Businessweek の April 13, 2020 版に掲載されています。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。

この記事は Bloomberg Businessweek の April 13, 2020 版に掲載されています。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。

BLOOMBERG BUSINESSWEEKのその他の記事すべて表示
Instagram's Founders Say It's Time for a New Social App
Bloomberg Businessweek US

Instagram's Founders Say It's Time for a New Social App

The rise of AI and the fall of Twitter could create opportunities for upstarts

time-read
4 分  |
March 13, 2023
Running in Circles
Bloomberg Businessweek US

Running in Circles

A subscription running shoe program aims to fight footwear waste

time-read
3 分  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
What I Learned Working at a Hawaiien Mega-Resort
Bloomberg Businessweek US

What I Learned Working at a Hawaiien Mega-Resort

Nine wild secrets from the staff at Turtle Bay, who have to manage everyone from haughty honeymooners to go-go-dancing golfers.

time-read
10 分  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
How Noma Will Blossom In Kyoto
Bloomberg Businessweek US

How Noma Will Blossom In Kyoto

The best restaurant in the world just began its second pop-up in Japan. Here's what's cooking

time-read
3 分  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
The Last-Mover Problem
Bloomberg Businessweek US

The Last-Mover Problem

A startup called Sennder is trying to bring an extremely tech-resistant industry into the age of apps

time-read
10+ 分  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
Tick Tock, TikTok
Bloomberg Businessweek US

Tick Tock, TikTok

The US thinks the Chinese-owned social media app is a major national security risk. TikTok is running out of ways to avoid a ban

time-read
10+ 分  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
Cleaner Clothing Dye, Made From Bacteria
Bloomberg Businessweek US

Cleaner Clothing Dye, Made From Bacteria

A UK company produces colors with less water than conventional methods and no toxic chemicals

time-read
3 分  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
Pumping Heat in Hamburg
Bloomberg Businessweek US

Pumping Heat in Hamburg

The German port city plans to store hot water underground and bring it up to heat homes in the winter

time-read
3 分  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
Sustainability: Calamari's Climate Edge
Bloomberg Businessweek US

Sustainability: Calamari's Climate Edge

Squid's ability to flourish in warmer waters makes it fitting for a diet for the changing environment

time-read
4 分  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
New Money, New Problems
Bloomberg Businessweek US

New Money, New Problems

In Naples, an influx of wealthy is displacing out-of-towners lower-income workers

time-read
4 分  |
March 20 - 27, 2023