IEQc4.1 Ruling 6/21/04 states "Materials which have the potential to communicate their emissions to the indoor air include all indoor surfaces in contact with the indoor air including flooring; walls; ceilings; interior furnishings; suspended ceiling systems and the materials above those suspended ceilings; all ventilation system components in communication with the ventilation supply or return air; and all materials inside of wall cavities, ceiling cavities, floor cavities, or horizontal or vertical chases." What criteria is used to evaluate materials not covered under SCAQMD Rule 1168 for adhesives, sealants, and primers; or Green Seal Standard GS-11 for paints and coatings?
Many materials installed in buildings, which have the potential to affect indoor air quality, are unfortunately not covered by LEED credits in NC version 2.1. EQ Credit 4.1 covers adhesives and sealants, applied on site, inside the exterior moisture protection. These materials must comply with VOC content limits of South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) Rule #1168, in order to achieve this credit (EQ Cr 4.1). The LEED version 2.1 Reference Guide, page 273, Tables 1a and 1b indicates the VOC limits set by the SCAQMD Rule 1168. Any adhesive or sealant that does not fall under one of the listed categories shall follow the 250 g/l VOC limit set for "all others." Please note that materials used to coat a product or seal a floor (e.g., concrete sealer) are considered an architectural coating. Architectural coatings such as these are currently not covered by the LEED-NC version 2.1, per CIR ruling dated 10/6/03. Also, materials applied off site, or outside the exterior moisture protection, are not covered in LEED-NC v2.1. EQ Credit 4.2 covers paints, applied on site, inside the exterior moisture protection. These materials must comply with Green Seal Standard GS-11, in order achieve this credit (EQ-4.2). The LEED version 2.1 Reference Guide, page 274, Table 4 show the VOC limits set by Green Seal Standard GS-11 for paints including primers. Note that per previous CIRs, coatings other than primers and finish coats are not addressed by this credit. Also, materials applied off site, or outside the exterior moisture protection, are not covered in LEED-NC v2.1. EQ Credit 4.3 addresses carpeting. EQ Credit 4.4 addresses composite wood products. Materials which do not fall under the range of these four credits are not required to be addressed in LEED NC-2.1 projects. For projects wishing to address other coatings, additional low-VOC guidelines can be found in the California Air Resources Board Suggested Control Measures (CARB SCMs), available at http://www.arb.ca.gov/coatings/arch/rules/ruleinfo.htm (the most convenient way to view is in the Excel spreadsheet entitled Summary of Architectural Coating rules and VOC limits for U.S. EPA, CARB SCM, Calif. Local Districts).