Josee Velsen discovered she had breast cancer in 2001. She was 34 years old; daughter Keana was five, son Kaleb just two. Shocked and frightened, but with the support of her husband Adam, Velsen launched determinedly onto a path of physical and spiritual recovery -- and learning.
The couple hit the books immediately to research possible causes of cancer, and quickly confirmed one of their suspicions. Although direct links to cancer haven't been conclusively proved, some health experts warn that prolonged exposure in a home to electromagnetic fields (EMFs) and emissions of formaldehyde from construction materials can be harmful to health, and possibly carcinogenic.
With two small children and Josee's illness to consider, the risk of any adverse health effects was enough to convince the Velsens that a significant change in their living conditions was required. In September 2003, in pursuit of both physical and spiritual well-being, they began construction of a new 'healthy house' on Gabriola Island, British Columbia.
Adam, a builder by trade, knew from experience that close proximity to roadside main power lines causes a consistently high level of EMFs inside a house. The couple placed their new home well back from the road, and buried the connecting power line between the house and the power shed. The house was the product of a design course that Adam took with Jim Trainor on nearby Hornby Island. Trainor's approach appealed to the Velsens, who wanted a dwelling that would be spiritually as well as physically wholesome.
"The course was very organic," says Adam. "The design process was like a series of meditations on what kind of rooms we wanted, and how to connect them together."
To test out the structural components of his design, and how light and movement would work in the house, Adam built a model out of a cardboard box. With only minor modifications, the model and the 2,500-square-foot, two-level finished house are almost an exact match.
The couple's budget was anything but unlimited, however, and from experience Adam knew that the cost of materials for constructing a healthy home was likely to be higher than a standard dwelling. Mistakes were simply not affordable.
"This is backwards!? says Josee. "It should be less expensive to build healthier. To live is priceless. What are we paying less for?"
With Adam and Josee supplying most of the labour and construction expertise, along with a strategy to use as much recycled material as possible, costs could be kept down. To their surprise and gratification, the couple found that in some instances, the healthier choice was cheaper.
That was not the case with most of the electrical components. But their goal was straightforward -- to minimize the family's exposure to any level of EMFs -- and the couple prioritized their spending accordingly. Sources of EMFs inside most houses include poly-vinyl chloride (PVC) insulated wiring (PVC is also linked to cancer, and does not block EMFs). Other sources are power outlets and extension cords (which typically have very little insulation), and plugged-in electrical appliances. The Velsens used an EMF measuring tool called a Gauss meter in other houses to establish the worst culprits. "Dimmer switches are really bad," says Josee. "Three-way switches also have a higher field than regular switches. Baby monitors emit high EMFs, and so do things like electric blankets and clock radios."
As a general practice, the Velsens leave all appliances not in current use unplugged and have as few as possible in the bedrooms. "EMFs can really interfere with sleep patterns," says Josee.
In areas of frequent traffic -- the bedrooms and kitchens in particular -- Adam used insulated metal-clad BX wire. The metal casing significantly reduces EMF emissions from the wiring, but costs at least 20 per cent more than PVC-insulated wiring.
The couple installed a switch to turn the power off at night to everything but the refrigerator, the well pump, the hot water and the smoke detectors. "It's a nice, peaceful feeling when all the electric noise stops," says Adam. "It's a real bonus. The constant hum is part of the electronic pollution we put up with most of the time."
Making up for the extra cost of the BX wire, the Velsens scrounged next-to-new baseboard heaters for a dollar each at a local recycling store. Use of recycled material was an important part of their strategy: money saved could be put into other areas of the home. Odd-shaped ceramic tiles saved over the years have been laid in artistic designs in the pantry, laundry and bathroom floors. The mirrors were bought from an old hotel in Nanaimo. The funky glass kitchen lights came from a second-hand store, and the couple used as much recycled timber as possible.
When it came to new materials, the Velsens tried to use products that were formaldehyde or solvent-free. Some of it was an experiment for Adam, who hadn't previously tried building in this way. "We used 2x10 spruce that was kiln-dried for the floor. It was inexpensive, light and nice and wide. Then we finished it with Bona's Traffic finish. It worked so well we used it to finish all the wood trim, and to seal the counter tops, the doors, even the concrete around the fireplace."
A Swedish manufacturer, Bona's products are waterborne hardwood floor finishes that the company says have no toxic fumes and low levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Carpet was avoided: synthetic carpets can off-gas VOCs for several years.
"You can buy pure wool New Zealand carpets to avoid that problem if you have the budget," says Josee. "But it's worth asking what you're getting -- some of them have been stain-proofed with chemical products." In their previous home, the Velsens used Marmoleum, an all-natural linoleum made from linseed oil, pine resins, wood flour, flax and ground limestone.
For framing, Adam minimized glue use, and for the sub-floor used 1x6 solid fir timber instead of plywood. To their surprise, this was another cost-saver.
"We did the same thing with the sheathing. It was more labour-intensive, but the fir is cheaper than plywood, and lasts just as long. Even with hiring two people to help and all the extra nails, it still came out cheaper."
Insulation was Johns Mansville formaldehyde-free fibreglass. A steel roof permits drinking water collection.
The room in which the Velsens concentrated most of their efforts was the kitchen. "Kitchens can be very toxic," says Adam. 'so much MDF is used in making cabinets and counter-tops." MDF, or medium-density fibreboard, typically is another formaldehyde-saturated product (although American manufacturer Rodman Industries makes a low-emission MDF, and Medite Corporation in Oregon produces entirely formaldehyde-free MDF). The Velsens opted to go with wood cabinetry, using solvent-free glue Titebond. For countertops they used tile and concrete, also sealed with Bona Traffic. (Jos?e has since discovered a concrete-specific seal called VOCOMP-20, produced in the United States, which is also water-based).
The Velsens are very happy with their new home. When it was featured on the annual Gabriola home and garden tour in 2005, the couple had trouble persuading people to leave at the end of the day. Visitors were enthralled with the combination of the house construction and the peaceful ambience. "Knowing how much people like what we've done gives us the energy to keep going," says Josee, who is eager to keep spreading the word about health risks from exposure to toxic materials and EMFs.
Asked what they would add to the house if they had an unlimited budget, their wish list is modest: a hot water on demand system, water-heated flooring and gas appliances. "Geothermal heat would be nice, too," says Adam, who is currently working on a new house that will feature a wetland wastewater treatment installation that he estimates will reduce waste in the ground by up to 90 per cent in the growing season.
The couple remains confident they are on the right track. Jos?e's health has continued to improve and the children are thriving. 'reading all that research really scared us," says Josee. "But now there is a real sense of peace and well-being in our home."
Adam says: "Often you don't appreciate the impact of something unless you see it in a really big way. So people look at a huge power plant and think it must be bad to live close to it. But they don't see the constant electricity in their own home. It's like saying, one chocolate bar won't hurt you. It's cumulative. All of a sudden it's 100 bars. It's the whole power plant."
What are Electromagnetic Fields?
EMFs are formed around electrical appliances and wiring. EMFs, which are measured in Gauss (G) or Tesla (nT) also occur naturally from the earth's electric and magnetic properties. Measurement of EMF levels can be recorded with a Gauss (or Gause) meter. Data on what constitutes an "acceptable? level is sparse, but one study suggests that continuous exposure to two Milligauss may be harmful. Other studies indicate that average household levels are low enough not to pose a risk.
Health Canada says there is no conclusive evidence of EMFs being associated with health problems.
Some experts say that insufficient research has been completed to rule out risks of cancer and other negative effects. Links have been made to childhood leukaemia, which the International Agency for Research on Cancer says "is unlikely to be due to chance." IARC also states: "Extremely low-frequency magnetic fields are possibly carcinogenic to humans."
While the industry appears divided as to whether EMFs cause problems, the World Health Organization advises that individuals "might choose to reduce their EMF exposure by minimizing the use of certain electrical appliances or by increasing distance to the sources that can produce relatively high fields."
Formaldehyde Facts
Formaldehyde (CH2O) is used as a preservative and bonding agent for wood products, insulation, plastics, paints and other industrial chemicals. In homes, it is used in a vast range of products and materials: furniture and cabinetry made from particleboard and MDF, moulded plastics, insulation, paints, wallpaper, and synthetic carpets. Formaldehyde can "off-gas" from new products for several years.
Evidence points to formaldehyde being responsible for allergic reactions and inducing respiratory problems, and at very high levels, to some forms of cancer. Health Canada says those levels are far higher than those normally found in residential homes. However, the government has banned some products, such as urea formaldehyde foam insulation, and is currently reviewing the effects of wood-burning and gas-powered appliances. In the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency has classified formaldehyde as a "probable human carcinogen."
Suggested minimization strategies by Health Canada include sealing furniture and cabinetry to reduce emissions, seeking out formaldehyde-free products (increasingly available as consumer awareness levels rise), ensuring good air circulation, and low moisture levels in the home. High humidity increases the rate of release of formaldehyde.
Insulation Options
Formaldehyde- and fibreglass-free insulation options are numerous, although they can be more costly. Cancer warnings are posted on some fibreglass insulation products, which are also typically bonded with formaldehyde. Some manufacturers, such as Owens Corning and Johns Mansville, are producing formaldehyde-free fibreglass insulation. Johns Mansville has eliminated formaldehyde in favour of a non-toxic acrylic resin.
Other healthy and environmentally friendly options include:
-cellulose insulation made from recycled newspaper and cardboard (cheaper than fibreglass, equally if not more effective, but can sag and rot)
-Icynene foam insulation (www.icynene.on.ca), which has no chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), or formaldehyde content, and is endorsed by the Envirodesic Building Program, a Canadian environmental standards certification program
-cotton (although cotton itself is grown in a highly chemically intensive crop management system). Some cotton insulation manufacturers, such as Inno-Therm and Bonded Logic, use recycled cotton
-sheep's wool -- New Zealand-based Woolhouse International's Thermofleece Natural Wool Insulation is available in North America; and
-straw bale insulation
-Photography by Nicholas Halpin, January/February 2006