Towards a Safer and Greener Indoor Environment: Chemical Liberation from Polyethylene Plumbing Pipes

1228615(惠尔顿)。在过去的几十年里，聚合物饮用水管道的使用量呈指数级增长。这一趋势预计将继续下去，因为成本和生命周期优势超过了金属管。绿色建筑倡议和美国绿色建筑委员会(USGBC)正在推动在建筑物中安装更多高密度聚乙烯(HDPE)和交联型聚乙烯(PEX)饮用水管道，以减少PVC材料的使用。尽管HDPE和PEX管道仍在继续安装，但人们对美国聚乙烯管道如何影响饮用水质量知之甚少，来自欧洲的数据也无法直接翻译，因为管道配方和制造实践之间的差异。目前，关于导致美国聚乙烯饮用水管道泄漏污染物的最坏情况的数据很少。此外，人们对哪些化学和聚合物特性最能预测污染物释放潜力知之甚少，对饮用水质量的长期影响几乎一无所知，也没有来自实际管道系统的美国数据。这项研究将确定哪些污染物、聚合物特性和环境条件会影响建筑管道系统中安装的新管道、实验室老化管道和实际管道中的污染物释放。该项目将获得建筑设计师、业主、监管机构、公共卫生官员和产品制造商所需的信息，以了解HDPE和PEX管道的淋滤方面。结果将列出关键的材料因素，以便制造商能够开发出浸出率较低的产品，从而改善建筑室内环境质量。一个实验室/现场教育模块将被提供给美国阿拉巴马州和国家办公室、AWWA和美国环保局。本单元还将提供给国家和国际绿色建筑标准组织(IAMPO、ASPE)。

1228615 (Whelton). Over the past several decades, polymer potable water pipe use has exponentially increased. This trend is expected to continue because of cost and life-cycle advantages over metal pipes. Green building initiatives and the US Green Building Council (USGBC) are driving increased installation of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and crosslinked polyethylene (PEX) potable water pipe into buildings to reduce PVC material use. Despite continued HDPE and PEX pipe installation, little is known about how US polyethylene based pipes affect drinking water quality, and data from Europe cannot be directly translated because of differences between pipe formulations and manufacturing practices. At present, little data are available on the conditions that result in worst-case contaminant release from US polyethylene potable water pipe. Moreover, little is known about which chemical and polymer properties best predict contaminant release potential, practically nothing about long-term drinking water quality impacts, and no US data are available from actual plumbing systems. This study will identify which contaminants, polymer properties, and environmental conditions influence contaminant release from new, laboratory aged, and actual pipes installed in building plumbing systems. The project will obtain the information necessary for building designers, owners, regulators, public health officials, and product manufacturers to understand the leaching aspects of HDPE and PEX piping. Results will outline key material factors so manufacturers can develop lower-leaching products, thereby improving building indoor environmental quality. A lab/field education module will be delivered to the USGBC Alabama and National Offices, AWWA, and US EPA. This module will also be provided to National and International Green Building Standard Organizations (IAMPO, ASPE).