Hazardous Building Materials Down 74% in Sweden – Indoor Air Quality on the Rise

The air we breathe indoors plays a decisive role in our health, and in Sweden, the outlook is improving significantly. A new report from Byggvarubedömningen shows that the use of building materials containing hazardous substances has plummeted by 74 percent over the past six years.

Swedes spend roughly 90 percent of their time indoors, where air quality is largely shaped by emissions from construction materials. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from products such as paint, adhesives, and flooring can negatively impact health, causing asthma, skin irritation, and eye problems. But according to Byggvarubedömningen’s latest study, “The Impact of Building Materials on Indoor Environments and Indoor Air Quality,” the construction industry is steadily moving away from products with high VOC levels.

Between 2017 and 2023, the number of products categorized as “to be avoided” due to VOC emissions fell by nearly three-quarters. Meanwhile, materials with high emission levels overall were cut in half.

“We can only tip our hats to the development we’ve seen in the Swedish construction industry in recent years,” said Marianne Balck, environmental toxicologist at Byggvarubedömningen. “One major step forward is that paints now more often use water-based solvents instead of oil-based ones, reducing exposure to harmful chemicals.”

The report is based on around 10,000 project logbooks from leading players in Sweden’s construction and real estate sectors.

At the same time, public awareness remains mixed. A nationwide survey conducted by Norstat found that two in five Swedes are worried about indoor air quality, while one in four said they are not concerned at all about what they are breathing.

With healthier materials increasingly becoming the standard, experts say Sweden is on a promising path toward cleaner air and safer living environments.

Read the report here.

Programme Manual Online

Choose