Hospitals, like many other buildings, have many sources of contaminants. Here is a list of some of the potential problems:

Mercury. Mercury is a heavy metal used in several products in the hospital, like thermometers, batteries and fluorescent lamps. The metal can be toxic to the nervous system, and cause problems with memory, information processing, attention, language, and fine motor skills. Patients are not very likely to experience a direct exposure to mercury in the hospital. Instead, mercury is more likely to end up in the medical waste stream and emitted into the air during incineration of the waste. The airborne mercury can settle into nearby waterways or seep into the ground water supply. According to the organization Health Care Without Harm, hospitals generate up to 50 times more mercury in medical waste than found in municipal waste.

Dioxin. Dioxins are toxic chemical compounds formed during the burning of hospital waste. The chemicals are also found in products with PVC (polyvinyl chloride, a plastic polymer). Dioxins don't easily degrade in the environment and eventually increase in concentration. Exposure can occur through the surrounding air and in the food supply (the compounds are also taken in by animals used for food). Dioxin has been linked to the development of several kinds of cancer. In humans, dioxin exposure may cause changes in the immune system and in the levels of some hormones.

DEHP. DEHP, or Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate, is a plasticizer added to PVC products to soften and increase flexibility of some medical devices (like IV bags and tubing). It doesn't bind well with the PVC and can leach out of the product and into the body. DEHP may be toxic to the liver, lungs and developing male reproductive system.

Volatile Organic Compounds. Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are chemicals emitted as gases from liquid or solid products. Some of the most common types of VOCs are formaldehyde (found in some types of building materials, permanent press drapes and clothing, glues, adhesives and some paints), pesticides, solvents and cleaning agents. Exposure may cause irritation of the eyes, nose or throat, breathing problems, headache and nausea. VOCs may be toxic to the liver, kidneys and central nervous system. Some VOCs may also be linked to cancer.

Glutaraldehyde. Glutaraldehyde is a colorless, oily liquid used to cold sterilize some types of hospital equipment. It is also used in labs and in the processing of X-ray films. Exposure can irritate the airways and cause breathing problems, nosebleed, burning of the eyes, headache or nausea. Contact with the skin can lead to a rash or hives.

Building an Environmentally Friendly ("Green") Hospital

Some hospital administrators are taking steps to make their facilities more environmentally friendly. The Sarkis and Siran Gabrellian Women's and Children's Pavillion at the Hackensack University Medical Center has won a design award as one of the Top 10 Green Hospitals in the U.S. During construction of the Pavillion, designers and builders worked to avoid use of materials containing harmful chemicals. Cabinets are made with wheatboard instead of particle-board. Toys, floors and wall-coverings are made of PVC-free materials. The hospital instituted a "Greening the Cleaning®" program to eliminate, when possible, toxic chemicals and replace them with products containing natural or naturally-derived products.

The hospital also incorporated several other changes that contribute to an overall "green" building. Flooring is made of rubber rather than vinyl. Instead of fiberglass to insulate the walls, builders used recycled cotton denim. Whenever possible, left-over building materials that would normally be discarded were recycled.

The move to a green hospital was an important choice for hospital administrators. Deirdre Imus, Environmental Center Founder at Hackensack, says hospitals are supposed to be places of healing. So it doesn't make sense to expose sick patients to potentially harmful chemicals and gases.