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呈指数级增长。预计这一趋势将继续下去，因为与金属管道相比，它具有成本和生命周期方面的优势。绿色建筑倡议和美国绿色建筑理事会（USGBC）正在推动增加高密度聚乙烯（HDPE）和交联聚乙烯（PEX）饮用水管道在建筑物中的安装，以减少PVC材料的使用。尽管HDPE和PEX管道的安装仍在继续，但人们对美国聚乙烯管道如何影响饮用水质量知之甚少，并且由于管道配方和制造实践之间的差异，欧洲的数据无法直接转换。 目前，关于导致美国聚乙烯饮用水管道最坏情况污染物释放的条件的数据很少。 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，几乎没有关于长期饮用水质量影响的信息，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，聚合物的性能和环境条件影响污染物从新的，实验室老化，和实际管道安装在建筑物管道系统中的释放。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管道的浸出情况。研究结果将概述关键的材料因素，使制造商可以开发低浸出产品，从而改善建筑室内环境质量。 将向USGBC亚拉巴马和国家办事处、AWWA和美国环保署提供实验室/现场教育模块。该模块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).