― White Paper
Understanding Antimicrobial Ingredients in Building Materials
Executive Summary Antimicrobials have long been added to building products for the purpose of protecting the product from mold, mildew, or spoilage. These antimicrobials are pesticides, which often kill a wide spectrum of pathogens. Although federal law prohibits product manufacturers from making explicit health claims without specific evidence, the marketing of these products sometimes suggests or implies that antimicrobial additives may also offer human health protections against other pathogens, such as bacteria and viruses. Recently, some product manufacturers have introduced products that incorporate antimicrobials specifically for the purpose of killing bacteria and viruses that are harmful to humans. In this paper, we review the evidence to determine whether antimicrobials in building products have been shown to provide human health benefits. No evidence yet exists to demonstrate that products intended for use in interior spaces that incorporate antimicrobial additives actually result in healthier populations. Further, antimicrobials may have negative impacts on both people and the environment.1 Their widespread use may be associated with microbial resistance to these agents, and potentially to therapeutic antibiotics. Antimicrobial additives can migrate from the products in which they are incorporated, finding their way into wastewater systems and the larger environment with unknown ecological implications, but with reasonable cause for concern. In line with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s stance on the use of consumer items labeled as “antimicrobial”2, as well as guidance from the Food and Drug Administration3 and other credible institutions4, Perkins&Will is placing Products Marketed as Antimicrobial on its Precautionary List (transparency.perkinswill.com). Perkins&Will project teams should advise clients of reasonable alternatives where appropriate. Antimicrobials used in products strictly as preservatives for which there are little to no market alternatives, and which do not make public health claims, are not included in this paper’s recommendations.
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