Creating Healthier Spaces in Our Built Environment

In Arizona, where extreme heat keeps us indoors for much of the year and air quality challenges persist, it’s more important than ever to think about the air we breathe inside our homes, schools, offices — and commercial properties. It’s important that building owners, tenants and facilities managers alike understand the quality of our interior environments directly impacts the health, comfort and performance of everyone who occupies them.

Many of us assume that indoor spaces are automatically safe. But certain materials used in furniture, flooring, paints and finishes can release invisible chemicals into the air and dust — affecting our health in ways we’re only beginning to understand. These exposures especially impact our kids, elders and anyone with asthma or chronic conditions.

What Are These Chemicals, and Why Should We Care?

Some of the most concerning substances found in everyday building materials include:

PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), known as “forever chemicals,” which are extremely persistent in the environment and linked to hormone disruption, cancer and immune issues.
Phthalates, often found in plastics and synthetic fragrances, which can interfere with reproductive development and increase risk of obesity and high blood pressure.
Microplastics, which are now being detected in human lungs, blood and even placental tissue.

These chemicals may be invisible, but their effects on our health are very real — especially when we spend up to 90% of our time indoors.

The Science Is Hard to Ignore

Over the past decade, scientists around the world have deepened our understanding of how certain chemicals — especially endocrine disruptors like PFAS and phthalates — interact with the human body. Even at extremely low levels, these substances can interfere with hormone regulation, impacting everything from metabolism to fertility to child development. Unlike other environmental risks, these exposures often happen quietly and over long periods of time, making them hard to detect but important to address.

Research from institutions like the National Institutes of Health and the Endocrine Society points to strong links between long-term exposure and chronic conditions, including certain cancers, reproductive challenges, and neurodevelopmental delays in children. Simply put, the more we learn, the clearer it becomes that reducing exposure to these chemicals is a smart and proactive step toward long-term health and resilience.

This matters not just for our health, but also for business. Healthier indoor environments are becoming a competitive differentiator — helping to reduce liability, support tenant satisfaction and retention, and future-proof buildings against evolving standards and regulations.

The good news? With a few practical steps, we can make healthier choices that protect the people and places we care about.

Five Things We Can Do Today to Create Healthier Spaces

Avoid vinyl in building materials. Materials like PVC flooring release harmful substances over time. Safer alternatives include polished concrete, terrazzo, linoleum and sustainably sourced wood.
Switch out single-use plastics. Instead of bottled water and plastic utensils, consider refill stations and reusable dishware — reducing plastic exposure and landfill waste at the same time.
Use safer cleaning products. Look for non-toxic cleaners without added fragrance, bleach or ammonia. These safer products are gentler on lungs and skin — especially important in schools, homes with kids and healthcare settings.
Add indoor air quality monitors. These small devices help us keep track of air pollutants like VOCs and particulate matter, especially helpful in places with high dust or ozone levels.
Ask about material transparency. Those planning a renovation or building a home should talk with their designer or builder about avoiding Red List chemicals. Just like food labels, materials should be transparent about what’s inside.

Why It Matters

This is about protecting what matters most: our children, our pets, our communities and our own well-being. Small changes made today — in how we build, renovate and maintain our spaces — can lead to better health outcomes and a higher quality of life for years to come.

In commercial real estate, healthier materials and cleaner air are no longer “nice to have” — they’re becoming standard expectations. Tenants, investors and even insurers are paying closer attention to indoor environmental quality. Buildings that proactively eliminate harmful chemicals can reduce liability, improve tenant retention and boost long-term asset value. In a climate like Arizona’s — where indoor spaces are used intensively year-round — creating safer, healthier environments is both a responsible and strategic business decision.

We don’t need to wait for new regulations. We can take ownership of our spaces now, using science-backed information to make better choices. Whether the project is designing a school, developing a property, running a business or managing a home, there are tangible steps decision makers can take to ensure a healthier environment for everyone who walks through the doors.

Did You Know:

Indoor air can be 2 to 100 times more polluted than outdoor air.
More than 350,000 chemicals are used in commercial products worldwide — but only a small fraction are fully tested for safety.
Microplastics have been detected in drinking water, food and even human tissue.
Ninety percent of indoor dust contains at least one chemical of concern.

Stacey Olson serves as a global wellness leader and a director of Sustainable Design for Gensler’s Southwest Region. Her focus is in sustainability, health and well-being, and conscientious design. She is a LEED Fellow and certified interior designer, and is professionally accredited in EcoDistricts and Fitwel third-party certification programs.