Do LEED Certified Green Buildings Protect Human Health?

Do "green" buildings protect human health from environmental hazards? The answer is "not necessarily," according to a recent report released by Environment and Human Health, Inc. (EHHI), titled "LEED Certification: Where Energy Efficiency Collides with Human Health." EHHI is a nonprofit organization composed of doctors, public health professionals and policy experts who specialize in research that examines environmental threats to human health. The organization receives no funding from corporations or businesses. Many corporations and other institutions also have adopted LEED standards without fully understanding that energy conservation efforts often reduce the exchange of indoor and outdoor air, which can cause synthetic chemicals to concentrate within buildings. EHHI is especially concerned that the LEED program is now providing the false impression that the buildings it certifies protect human health.