The proliferation of green products is a boon to facility executives who are involved in green building projects – or who simply want to make buildings a little more environmentally friendly than they would otherwise have been. But the flood of claims about environmental benefits presents a challenge: Facility executives have to figure out which ones are valid. That’s not always easy to do. Third-party certification programs are one valuable resource. Now a new testing method promises to be another tool for manufacturers to show that their products offer environmental benefits. The test addresses one very specific area: the ability of a product to resist microbial growth. Developed by Air Quality Sciences, the firm that put together the criteria for the Green Guard indoor air quality certification program, the test is based on an ASTM national standard. The test provides quantitative results for a range of building materials, says Air Quality Sciences. The Green Guard Web site will list products shown to resist microbial growth. Green Guard sponsored a pilot study of the new testing method that involved ten manufacturers of insulation, adhesives, flooring and wallcoverings. For additional background, click here and select the PDF entitled “AQS and Greenguard Environmental Institute Pioneer a New Microbial Resistant Building Products Rating System.”