GREENGUARD Unveils Interactive, 3-D Virtual Home Tour as Tool to Educate Consumers About Indoor Air Pollution Sources and Solutions

Virtual home tour helps "visitors" identify common sources of chemical emissions and simple, inexpensive ways to improve their home's indoor air quality

ATLANTA, June 30 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In an effort to help people understand indoor air pollution and the simple ways they can combat it in their homes, the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute (GEI) unveiled today an interactive animated house tour online, which allows users to take a virtual "walk through" of a family residence while learning about common sources of indoor air pollution.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090401/DC92292LOGO-b)

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090401/DC92292LOGO-b)

The computer-generated, two-story home features a fully-equipped kitchen, living room, den, bathroom, master bedroom, and nursery, as well as a basement that's undergoing renovation—each furnished with common household products and materials that are known to emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs).  Once a user "enters" a room, he or she can scroll over the various products to learn more about their chemical emissions, as well as other sources of indoor air pollution, and discover straightforward solutions.

"Indoor air quality is one of those concepts that can be difficult to get your head around because it seems so abstract.  By creating this animated home tour, we hope to bring the concept of indoor air quality to life and make it more relatable to the average person," says Henning Bloech, executive director of GEI.  "I think most people will be surprised to see just how many of the products they use in their home contribute to indoor air pollution.  But they'll be equally as surprised to learn just how easy it is to make the air in their homes healthier."

The animated house, officially unveiled today, is available for "tours" on the GREENGUARD Web site at http://greenguard.org/en/consumers.aspx.  GEI encourages parents, grandparents, teachers, community leaders, and green building and design professionals to use the virtual house as an educational tool.

About the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute (GEI)

The GREENGUARD Environmental Institute aims to protect human health and improve quality of life by enhancing indoor air quality and reducing people's exposure to chemicals and other pollutants.  As an ISO-IEC Guide 65:1996 accredited, third-party organization, the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute certifies products and materials for low chemical emissions and provides a resource for choosing healthier products and materials for indoor environments.  All certified products must meet stringent chemical emissions standards based on established criteria from key public health agencies. GREENGUARD Certification is broadly recognized and accepted by sustainable building programs and building codes worldwide.  For more information and a complete listing of certified products, visit www.greenguard.org.

SOURCE GREENGUARD Environmental Institute