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GBlist: Healthy Homes?-2
Making an old house safer for someone with environmental sensitivities:
LANDSCAPE AND FOOTPRINT CONT.
The most relevant response on the issue of bioremediation (original
posting quoted below)concerned the potential problem of introducing more
biological activity (bacterial scavengers) to someone who would probably
be sensitive to microbial activity.
This still leaves the problem of cleaning up a contaminated area
primarily soil floored crawlspace and perimeter foundation areas of the
house. Given the fact that you do not want to introduce any more
potential contaminants and you want to reduce the impact of existing
conditions on the sensitized person what options would be preferable?
- Cleanup and sterilization of area: what methods should be employed and
if there is still the potential for air from a basement/crawlspace area
to infiltrate the main living area of a house how can you ensure its
quality over time?
- Isolation of basement/crawlspace area from main living area: how can
this be done effectively (recommended insulating materials and sealants)
and what hvac requirements would an isolated basement/crawlspace area
need.
LANDSCAPING QUESTIONS:
What are the elements that would constitute an effective
landscape(design) for a sensitive person. Given a sensitivity to
moisture borne processes would a drier landscape composed of easily
draining materials and appropriate dry plantings be preferred? Any other
issues in the exterior environment that should be considered?
I'm posting this information as general food for thought about the
materials and processes that make up a healthy home and their potential
to compromise health. Any and all comments would be appreciated,
especially if they are posted to the GBlist for general consumption.
John
> This is the first of a series of requests for information and general
> input that concern making an existing old house safer for someone with
> acute environmental sensitivities.
>
> LANDSCAPE AND FOOTPRINT
> Has anyone been involved with soil bioremidiation on a residential site
> or even an accounting of possible soil contamination concerns on an
> urban residential site (or even have any thoughts on remediation
> requirements for urban residential green areas). Sources of
> contamination can pretty well be contained to those that would occur in
> standard occupancy of a large family house over a period of 90 years (no
> industry nearby). Some concerns for contamination are; hydrocarbons as
> the house has had a number of old oil burners and various storage
> containers for fuels parked over soils, not to mention vehicles, lawn
> mowers, gas and paint storage etc., lead and other metal contamination
> of perimeter soil from exterior paint etc.. Other chemical components of
> herbicide concentrations might be a concern as the neighborhood seems to
> have made various non 'grass' or non 'flower' plant species extinct for
> quite a radius.
>
> Soil removal I don't think is an option as I'm concerned that any
> radical approach might elevate the toxicity level of any potential
> contaminants.
>
> I'm also concerned with what comes next - what forms the next landscape
> for this house and perhaps the potential for a landscape that can
> incorporate aspects of phytoremediation in its design - something that
> can work with the next 90 or so years of polluted environment.
>
> I know it might seem odd to be posting this request for what would
> probably be considered a 'non critical' site but I have not looked at an
> existing urban residential site for a while and my first impression was
> that the existing soils etc. especially those in the dirt crawlspace
> (old furnace areas),etc could not handle even the minor cumulative load
> over time from a basic house (not to mention the larger city
> environment). That coupled with the fact that the client has some
> extreme sensitivities based on an acute benzene exposure made me think
> that it was something worth considering.
>
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