Project Essential Questions
How does the structure of matter on the atomic, molecular, microscopic and macroscopic levels determine its physical, chemical and biological properties with emphasis on their use in building construction?
How do the design of a building, selection of building materials, construction process and use of a building affect the overall sustainability of a building project and the user experience in the building?
How do the design of a building, selection of building materials, construction process and use of a building affect the overall sustainability of a building project and the user experience in the building?
Reflection
Disinfectants on a microscopic scale work by rupturing the outer cell wall of bacteria, a barrier of naturally occurring peptidoglycan, a molecule made of two glucose offshoots bonded into a long chain. By rupturing the disrupting the outer shell of peptidoglycan, the bacteria can no longer maintain osmotic pressure and the pathogen dies. On a macroscopic scale, surfaces on which disinfectant and similar cleaning supplies are applied appear clean due to the nature of polar and non-polar molecules. Polar molecules will not affect non-polar molecules and visa-versa. This is the reason that water (polar) has very little effect on sharpie (non-polar). Polar molecules, molecules with the constraint that one end of the bonds of the molecule is negative and the other is positive, are naturally attracted to other polar molecules. All of them naturally form a sphere-like shape with the positive end of the bond on the inside. Non-polar means that the electrons are evenly distributed across the molecule and are attracted to other nonpolar molecules. (In reality, it is not that non-polar and polar molecules are not attracted to each other, but rather that polar molecules are so much more attracted to other polar molecules that non-polar molecules group together out of default through the random motion of electrons.) This effectively means that anything that cannot be cleaned by water alone is nonpolar and therefore needs a nonpolar bond to separate the stain.
These aspects of disinfecting (microscopic) and cleaning (macroscopic) affect the overall sustainability of a building and the user experience of the said building because the majority of cleaning and disinfecting supplies are toxic to both people and the planet. A large majority of the industrial cleaning supplies currently used create disinfectant by-products (DBPs). DBPs are the result of mixing natural organic matter with chemicals. This itself is a necessary process in sanitization and cleaning, but the issue occurs when they mix in such a way that is toxic to ecosystems and doesn't break down within a short period of time. There is also a measurable danger to custodial staff who work with these chemicals, a danger that can be easily avoided by using green cleaning products. These cleaning products often come with warnings to users stating the numerous health hazards that can occur with using these products, including but not limited to: chemical burns to skin, damage to eyes, and damage to the respiratory tract. Therefore, not only does this affect the environment, and subsequently the future of the students at this school, but also the people who are attempting to keep us safe from disease, which is unfair to them when there is a better alternative.
Throughout this project, I gained a new skill in my ability to advocate for criteria that allows me to produce the best work I can. This is shown in my advocacy for independent grading from my group. In the past, I have found myself having to do significant portions of work for my group members, and subsequently lower the standards of my own work due to an attention to detail that is lost as time invested is lost. By advocating for individual grading I was able to do my work without having to worry about being quality control, as has happened numerous times in the past.
These aspects of disinfecting (microscopic) and cleaning (macroscopic) affect the overall sustainability of a building and the user experience of the said building because the majority of cleaning and disinfecting supplies are toxic to both people and the planet. A large majority of the industrial cleaning supplies currently used create disinfectant by-products (DBPs). DBPs are the result of mixing natural organic matter with chemicals. This itself is a necessary process in sanitization and cleaning, but the issue occurs when they mix in such a way that is toxic to ecosystems and doesn't break down within a short period of time. There is also a measurable danger to custodial staff who work with these chemicals, a danger that can be easily avoided by using green cleaning products. These cleaning products often come with warnings to users stating the numerous health hazards that can occur with using these products, including but not limited to: chemical burns to skin, damage to eyes, and damage to the respiratory tract. Therefore, not only does this affect the environment, and subsequently the future of the students at this school, but also the people who are attempting to keep us safe from disease, which is unfair to them when there is a better alternative.
Throughout this project, I gained a new skill in my ability to advocate for criteria that allows me to produce the best work I can. This is shown in my advocacy for independent grading from my group. In the past, I have found myself having to do significant portions of work for my group members, and subsequently lower the standards of my own work due to an attention to detail that is lost as time invested is lost. By advocating for individual grading I was able to do my work without having to worry about being quality control, as has happened numerous times in the past.
General Overview of Presentation
What is sustainable cleaning:
As is true with most ventures in sustainability, the goal is to allow people to continue living their lives without jeopardizing the lives of future generations. Especially during COVID, cleaning has become an extremely large part of allowing businesses and schools to continue to function. This said the current cleaning products that allow this to happen are also causing damage to ecosystems that students, and people in general, depend on and will continue to depend on in the future.
The replacement of the current cleaning materials with materials of lower toxicity, if not completely green, is a necessary step in the movement towards a better future for students, staff, and people in general.
Disinfectant By-products (DBPs):
Disinfectant by-products (DBPs) are the result of mixing natural organic matter with chemicals. This itself is a necessary process in sanitization, but the issue occurs when they mix in such a way that is toxic to ecosystems and doesn't break down within a short period of time. In turn, this has the effect of significantly damaging micro-ecosystems, and when evaporating as often happens in these situations, contributes to air pollution. (1) (2)
How the sanitizing works:
Disinfectants and numerous other cleaning supplies deal with eradicating bacteria, work by compromising and rupturing the cell wall of a microbe, effectively compromising the cell wall and killing the microorganism. It also can do this by interfering with the biochemical reactions within a cell, disabling the cell's metabolism. Defined as "the process whereby physical or chemical methods are used to reduce the number of pathogenic microorganisms on a surface" (3)(4)
How it affects the environment and people:
DBPs are bad for the environment, especially if released into non-contained ecosystems because they tend to be toxic, and can kill bacteria necessary for the survival of the ecosystem. This said the more measurable and notable danger is to custodial staff. The toxicity of a majority of chemical cleaning products is known to cause rashes and sometimes be related to severe medical consequences. (5) This is of little consequence to students, but of huge consequence to cleaning staff who work with these chemicals at the moment that they are most potent, and do so regularly. It is wrong to make people, who work to keep students and staff safe from diseases as dangerous as COVID-19, work in extremely hazardous situations with a better alternative available.
The Green Spectrum:
When looking for cleaning products, we have a green spectrum. We want to preserve our environment, but also want the products to work and keep us safe. There is, therefore, a certain amount of error that is often necessary. The goal is to find a cleaning product that is both relatively sustainable/ less harmful to the people that use it, and works, a space on the green spectrum that Hillyard falls into.
Possible resources:
Hillyard is a possible resource for some more sustainable options. They offer everything from carpet cleaning supplies, to disinfectants, to floor pads. They don't offer costs on the site although janitorial services would likely be willing to discuss price. This is also a good resource because we currently have numerous products from them. Scan the link below to view the website. (6)
Independent and trustworthy sources for evaluating green claims:
There are, of course, numerous products that claim to be green cleaning and are not. It is important to find a source that is independently evaluating the claims of products in order to improve the industry's integrity. Industries such as Green Seal which is, “a global non-profit”, that “verifies you meet the highest standard of clean” make sure that the supplies you buy that are “green cleaning” are actually certifiably better for the environment.
As is true with most ventures in sustainability, the goal is to allow people to continue living their lives without jeopardizing the lives of future generations. Especially during COVID, cleaning has become an extremely large part of allowing businesses and schools to continue to function. This said the current cleaning products that allow this to happen are also causing damage to ecosystems that students, and people in general, depend on and will continue to depend on in the future.
The replacement of the current cleaning materials with materials of lower toxicity, if not completely green, is a necessary step in the movement towards a better future for students, staff, and people in general.
Disinfectant By-products (DBPs):
Disinfectant by-products (DBPs) are the result of mixing natural organic matter with chemicals. This itself is a necessary process in sanitization, but the issue occurs when they mix in such a way that is toxic to ecosystems and doesn't break down within a short period of time. In turn, this has the effect of significantly damaging micro-ecosystems, and when evaporating as often happens in these situations, contributes to air pollution. (1) (2)
How the sanitizing works:
Disinfectants and numerous other cleaning supplies deal with eradicating bacteria, work by compromising and rupturing the cell wall of a microbe, effectively compromising the cell wall and killing the microorganism. It also can do this by interfering with the biochemical reactions within a cell, disabling the cell's metabolism. Defined as "the process whereby physical or chemical methods are used to reduce the number of pathogenic microorganisms on a surface" (3)(4)
How it affects the environment and people:
DBPs are bad for the environment, especially if released into non-contained ecosystems because they tend to be toxic, and can kill bacteria necessary for the survival of the ecosystem. This said the more measurable and notable danger is to custodial staff. The toxicity of a majority of chemical cleaning products is known to cause rashes and sometimes be related to severe medical consequences. (5) This is of little consequence to students, but of huge consequence to cleaning staff who work with these chemicals at the moment that they are most potent, and do so regularly. It is wrong to make people, who work to keep students and staff safe from diseases as dangerous as COVID-19, work in extremely hazardous situations with a better alternative available.
The Green Spectrum:
When looking for cleaning products, we have a green spectrum. We want to preserve our environment, but also want the products to work and keep us safe. There is, therefore, a certain amount of error that is often necessary. The goal is to find a cleaning product that is both relatively sustainable/ less harmful to the people that use it, and works, a space on the green spectrum that Hillyard falls into.
Possible resources:
Hillyard is a possible resource for some more sustainable options. They offer everything from carpet cleaning supplies, to disinfectants, to floor pads. They don't offer costs on the site although janitorial services would likely be willing to discuss price. This is also a good resource because we currently have numerous products from them. Scan the link below to view the website. (6)
Independent and trustworthy sources for evaluating green claims:
There are, of course, numerous products that claim to be green cleaning and are not. It is important to find a source that is independently evaluating the claims of products in order to improve the industry's integrity. Industries such as Green Seal which is, “a global non-profit”, that “verifies you meet the highest standard of clean” make sure that the supplies you buy that are “green cleaning” are actually certifiably better for the environment.