Polished Concrete

In the US government regulatory environment, acetone is not a regulated VOC . However, other programs may include acetone and other low contributing VOCs in their prohibited lists and those programs may be adopted by green building standards. Also, if your contract documents limit acetone and your specification team follows through on that, you may also have a situation where acetone is not exempt.

Since SCAMD is a US government derived standard, you probably won't find acetone on the list. However, the CRI may have it on their list but that doesn't apply to your polished concrete.

Brynn,

Most of the chemicals that are 'regulated' in EQ 4.3 are what are considered volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Acetone is considered a very volatile organic compound (VVOC) and therefore should off-gass from a product fairly soon after creation and should be off the product once it is installed in a building. Therefore acetone does not have a limit in the standards referenced in EQ 4.3.

So they're proposing to clean the concrete with nail polish remover prior to grinding? I'd say that would not be allowed per LEED. When the pour this out, it off gases inside your project.

Brynn,

OK - then it really focuses on EQ 4.1 which is more about the VOC content of a product and not the VOCs off-gassing. Apples and oranges.

I don't know exactly where it would be classified, but recognizing I don't know everything about the product - the little that I have heard from you would make me agree with Susan on this possibly being troublesome for the buildings IAQ.

I think that you need to review your IEQc3.1 plan. Are there no other alternatives? Shot blasting?

Strippers aren't covered by IEQc4—they simply don't fit into one of the established categories. As Susan points out, it may be covered more under IEQc3.1, although even that is probably a little broad, technically speaking.

Hi Brynn,

Though not directly related to the requirements of LEED, I found this document from the EPA interesting. http://www.epa.gov/ttn/oarpg/t1/fr_notices/acetone.pdf

"This action adds acetone to the list of compounds
excluded from the definition of VOC on the basis that
these compounds have been determined to have negligible
photochemical reactivity."

Here is another article describing how it is HAP and VOC exempt: http://www.woodshopnews.com/columns-blogs/finishing/498626-acetone-can-b...

I agree with Tristan that acetone is simply not included within the scope of the credit. No where is it referenced here: http://www.aqmd.gov/rules/reg/reg11/r1113.pdf

However, as someone who has encountered acetone first hand I know that the substance certainly smells toxic. Are there any alternatives that might work in lieu of acetone? Here's a good summary of some of the more toxic affects of acetone: http://des.nh.gov/organization/commissioner/pip/factsheets/ard/documents...

In summary, it looks like it may not be covered under LEED, and also is exempt from many federal requirements. However, its affects are certainly not 100% benign for those that are working with it.

I agree with Tristan's comment regarding strippers used for floor preparation. They are not included in the scope of the LEED credit. I personally don't like large scale acetone application due to its flammability and explosion risk. Also, as Josh noted it volatilizes rapidly which increases the potential for acute exposure to applicators and other trades. The LEED credit focuses on post-occupancy exposure potential.

As for alternatives, it depends on what type of material the applicator is trying to remove to get the floor ready for decorative stains or protective coatings. My company makes a variety of low volatility, biodegradable cure and seal removers and degreasers. However, the vast majority of the concrete polishing contractors we work with prefer abrasive removal techniques; usually with metal or diamond impregnated rotary pads coupled with dust capture and filtration equipment. This is the norm in VCT and carpet tear outs. The worst floors may require a self-leveling cement based overlay.

While I don't like acetone, I have other concerns regarding the soy oil based strippers. They are non-volatile, but oily, and tend to leave residue in the pores that is difficult to rinse and may adversely impact penetration of dust-proofers/hardeners and stains.

From my perspective, acetone does have a legitimate, but rightly limited, role in concrete polishing. In decorative staining, it is sometimes difficult to cut in or feather a water carried penetrating stain. Think of logos and other intricate decorative elements. Extremely dense floors, usually with high percentages of fly ash, can also cause penetration issues with water carried stains. But, in our experience the best-in-breed water carried stains work on the majority of concrete floors.