SPF dust in a duct in newly constructed home.
May Indoor Air Investigations, LLC
I think that SPF insulation is a great product, but care must be
taken during its installation to protect occupants' health.
Endnotes:
1. "Health Effects Associated with Faulty Application of Spray
Polyurethane Foam in Residential Homes," Y.Huang, W.Tsuang,
Environmental Research 134(2014), 295–300.
2. https://www.nist.gov/publications/lessons-learned-spray-
polyurethane-foam-emission-testing-using-micro-chambers.
3. https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-08/
documents/ffr_final.pdf.
remove the foam, all the finished walls had to be removed and
replaced. In another home with tongue and groove cathedral
ceilings, the contractor had to remove all the roof shingles and
sheathing to retrofit the insulation. The only place where the
foam was visible and accessible was in the eaves, where the odor
was very strong. In a third situation, a contractor purchased a
home that had a strong chemical odor in the attic due to SPF
insulation. To get rid of the odor, he replaced the roof structure.
My concerns about SPF go beyond the odors that could
result from improper SPF installations. I have seen very small
spheres in air samples I have taken in buildings in which SPF insu-
lation was installed. These spheres even appeared in air samples I
took in rooms adjacent to, below, or above where the foam was
installed. The spheres are small enough to be aerosolized by foot
traffic, to remain airborne for extended periods of time, and to
be inhaled. The spheres contain all of the chemicals in the foam,
including fire retardants (such as TCPP), exposure to which over
time may affect neurological development and reproduction, and
may possibly be carcinogenic.
3
Pink-stained SPF spheres in differing sizes (from about 3 microns to 30
microns). May Indoor Air Investigations, LLC
When my clients are considering having SPF insulation
installed, I always recommend that they work with a contrac-
tor who has been installing this product for at least 10 years.
Some clients or their contractors even hire an SPF consultant to
oversee the installation. Occupants should not be present during
the installation and should be away from the proper ty for at
least a day or two after the installation has been completed. And
the area in which the foam was installed should be thoroughly
cleaned to remove aldust.
Jeffrey C. May
Founder and Principal Scientist of May Indoor
Air Investigations LLC in Tyngsborough, MA
(www.mayindoorair.com), Jeffrey C. May
combines his education as an organic chemist
and his over twenty-five years of experience
investigating building problems to specialize in
indoor air quality (IAQ). He is a former Adjunct Faculty Member in
the Department of Work Environment at University of Massachu-
setts Lowell, and is author or co-author of four books on indoor air
quality (published by The Johns Hopkins University Press), including
My House is Killing Me: The Home Guide for Families with Al-
lergies and Asthma. Jeff is a nationally recognized speaker at annual
con ferences for the IAQ Association and the Maine IAQ Council,
among others. He is a Council-
Certified Microbial Consultant (ACAC) and a Certified IAQ Profes-
sional (AEE), and is licensed in the NH and FL as a mold inspector/
assessor. Jeff holds a B.A. from Columbia College (chemistry) and
an M.A. from Harvard University (organic chemistry). See http://
www.mayindoorair.com for details about Jeff 's company's services,
and www.myhouseiskillingme.com for more information about Jeff 's
publications and work. You can contact Jeff at jeff@mayindoorair.com
or call 978-649-1055.
22 | March 2021
