Total Lists Scanned: 25

Total Lists Not Scanned: 6

Total Lists Scanned: 5

Total Lists Not Scanned: 1

Total Lists Scanned: 6

Total Lists Not Scanned: 0

The Library identifies potential health hazards from both direct exposure to chemicals and from the releases of associated chemicals throughout the life cycle:

• Direct health hazards: Pharos screens materials against authoritative hazard listings to identify potential health hazards for those exposed to the material. Persistent bioaccumulative toxicants (PBTs) receive the highest priority for elimination followed by priority health effects: cancer, genetic mutation, reproductive or developmental harm and endocrine disruption.
• Life cycle health hazards: The Pharos team researches key materials to identify additional chemicals used, created and emitted throughout the material’s life cycle. Pharos screens these chemicals to identify potential health hazards to the workers and local communities near where the raw materials are mined or grown and then manufactured into products.

  Pharos staff conducts a preliminary literature review of life cycle chemicals for each ingredient of a Pharos listed product and more in-depth research on select common ingredients. Each chemical record is a work-in-progress. We welcome submissions and suggestions to improve our life cycle hazard data.

Pharos uses CAS registry numbers to compare materials against the Chemical Hazard lists in the box on the right side of the screen. If the material is listed, the name of the list and any warnings associated with that CAS number will be displayed along with a Pharos flag. Flags are color coded to indicate the Pharos system's prioritization of concern based upon the type of hazard and the degree of scientific evidence:

• Black - Urgent concern due to known persistence, bioaccumulation & toxicity (PBT) or extreme global warming or ozone depletion potential. Avoid immediately.
• Red - Very high concern due to known or probable cancer, mutation, endocrine disruption or reproductive or developmental harm, or very high global warming or ozone depletion potential. High priority to eliminate.
• Orange - High concern due to possible chronic toxicity, respiratory sensitization, ecotoxicity or high global warming or ozone depletion potential. Next priority for substitution.
• Yellow - Moderate concern due to acute health effects or moderate ecotoxicty, global warming or ozone depletion or preliminary data of higher concern health effects. Avoid when possible.
• Blue - This substance has been identified for avoidance or careful management on a Restricted Substance List (RSL).
• Green - Material studied and found not to cause the listed health impact. Not a guarantee for other health impacts. Watch for other flags.

Note: Absence of a hazard listing does not assure the safety of a material.

Many of the approximately 80,000 chemicals in commerce have not yet been thoroughly tested and evaluated for their direct health impacts. Nonetheless, with health effect information from over 20 national and international hazard lists covering over 9,000 materials and growing, the Chemical and Materials Library provides the most powerful tool available to help specifiers avoid identified potential hazards in materials in use and in their life cycle.

Pharos screens forestry products and other biobased materials against the authoritative lists in the Biobased Warning List box at right to identify trees and other timber plant species that are directly endangered or are frequently harvested from threatened forest habitats.

Wood is often very ambiguously named. Pharos searches based upon common name and possible genus and species names to provide a range of possible warnings dependent upon the naming.

Species warnings are marked with flags that are color coded to indicate the Pharos system's prioritization of concern based upon the degree of the threat to the species:

• Black - Extinct or Critically Endangered - species is extinct or facing an extremely high risk of extinction.
• Red - Endangered - species is facing a facing a very high risk of extinction.
• Orange - Vulnerable - species is facing a high risk of extinction.
• Yellow - Near Threatened- species is not yet considered vulnerable or endangered, but is close to qualifying for or is likely to qualify for a threatened category in the near future. Data deficient species or those not yet evaluated are also included.
• Blue - This substance has been identified for avoidance or careful management on a Restricted Substance List (RSL).
• Green - Least Concern - species is still widespread and abundant.

Any wood species with an orange flag or higher should be avoided entirely unless its harvest was certified by a robust independent sustainable forestry certification system like the FSC or better. Even yellow flagged species should be used with caution and avoided when possible due to possible threats to endangered species and destruction of critical forest habitats.

Absence of a warning listing does not assure that a species is free of threats.

Wood naming is ambiguous and subject to confusion. Many species have not yet been adequately assessed and building of this database is an ongoing process Nonetheless this Library is rapidly becoming the most comprehensive sources of information on threats to the wood species used in construction.