The Allergen-Free Life: Demand Meets Reality

May 23, 2008— -- If you are one of the tens of thousands of Americans who suffer from environmental allergies -- especially those triggered by chemicals emanating from common modern building materials such as treated wood, vinyl, synthetic carpeting and plastics -- you know how difficult it can be just to get a breath of fresh air.

Yet when it comes to providing for sufferers, builders in Europe seem to be showing up their American counterparts.

The Scotland-based Gaia Architects, for example, has renovated a once rundown housing project into 14 homes particularly well-suited, some believe, for those with asthma and allergies.

All potentially allergy-inducing building materials in these so-called "healthy homes" have been replaced with untreated wood and a type of insulation that keeps humidity down. This, in turn, helps keep the dust mite population in check, according to Gaia's spokesperson.

In the United States, however, low-allergen living is often limited to those with means.

Four- and five-star hotels like the Marriott, Four Seasons and the Mandarin Oriental have been offering rooms revamped by a company called Pure Solutions NA for more than a year. They're called "pure rooms." The furniture and carpets are specially cleansed with bacteria-killing solutions, and the mattresses and pillows are covered with dense coverings said to prevent dust mites from settling in.

When it comes to high-end homes and condos, said Brett House, a Re/Max realtor in Crestview, Fla., amenities like built-in HEPA filters have become standard. So have low-VOC carpet and paint.

VOC is an acronym for Volatile Organic Compounds, which are chemicals many researchers consider toxic.

Doctors and researchers doubt some of the claims.

Dr. Linda Cox, a board member of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, said that although there is a need for the hospitality and housing industries to make provisions for sufferers (she is enthusiastic about the thick covers for mattresses and pillows but not much else) some entrepreneurs may be taking advantage of our collective fear of contamination.

"This may be our fault," she said. "We are still developing evidence-based guidelines for allergists."