ABSTRACT
Polymer components may off-gas from building materials; they may behave as surface contaminants; and they may leach into surrounding media. Another overriding consideration in assessing the potential human impact of plastics in buildings is combustion by-products. Off-gassing, or emissions, is most likely to occur when the plastic or plastic-containing building material is fresh off the production line. Heat is the greatest influencer of plastic emissions. Beyond polymer emissions, plastic monomers may be released slowly from surfaces or the unbound semi-volatile plasticizers may leach out to the outer surface of the polymer building material and/or furnishings. Plasticizers and additives are manufacturer formulated components of all thermoplastic polymers. Polyethylene (PE) is a thermoplastic polymer produced by the catalytic polymerization of ethylene gas at elevated temperatures and pressures. The anticipation of the emissions and combustion products of thermoset plastics lives in a different realm from that of thermoplastic polymers.
