April 14, 2008—Greenguard Environmental Institute (GEI), national certifier of chemical emissions from building products and furnishings, is expanding its certification to include computers, printers, and other electronic devices—reportedly the first such program in the US.
The Greenguard program measures chemical “outgassing” of the product during normal use and operation. Measured emissions are then compared to an extensive list of short-term and long-term health risk exposure levels available from the US Environmental Protection Agency, Occupational Safety Health Administration, the state of California, and CDC’s Registry of Toxic Substances.
GEI notes that for almost twenty years, researchers have reported on emissions of potentially harmful chemicals from electronic devices. In Europe, the chemical content of computing and electronic devices are controlled through recently enacted European Union regulation, known as the RoHS Directive, and through certification of chemical emissions, under programs like Germany’s Blue Angel. The US has yet to adopt similar requirements, although some jurisdictions and other organizations are exploring the issue.
Lenovo’s M57/M57P “Eco” is the first computing device to attain the Greenguard certification for electronics, says Greenguard. The computer is also EPEAT Gold-rated, as are the company’s ThinkVision line of nine LCD computer monitors.
For more information about the new Greenguard program, or for a free online guide of Greenguard Certified products, visit the organization’s Web site.
