The hard thing with all "green" decisions is you have to consider many aspects. Sure one product may be "greener" but does it end up with a large carbon footprint from being shipped overseas and across country? will it need to be redone in 10 year vs. 50 years?

There is so many aspects.

Just FYI: "Acute symptoms of copper poisoning by ingestion include vomiting, hematemesis (vomiting of blood), hypotension (low blood pressure), melena (black "tarry" feces), coma, jaundice (yellowish pigmentation of the skin), and gastrointestinal distress. Chronic (long-term) copper exposure can damage the liver and kidneys."

Agreed! I hope my design choices are long-lasting, to fit my 1940 bungalow.

FWIW, one primary concern today is a non-toxic house. If I have to make a trade-off, I may choose lower VOC even if the carbon footprint of shipping is worse.

@Taitiana, thanks so much for having my back. Seems like it's always a trade-off, right? I'm tired of hearing about new chemicals that are causing cancer.

FWIW, when I was researching water pitchers last year I learned they aren't all the same. Here's a government certification website.

http://www.nsf.org/consumer-resources/water-quality/water-filters-testing-treatment/home-water-treatment-system-selection

Filters that are NSF/ANSI 53 certified reduce copper (among other things). Ones that are NSF/ANSI 401 certified reduce BPA. FWIW, Kaz USA makes PUR filters.

I think your goal is unachievable if you are planning to implement any modern technologies in your house. All the filters include plastic parts, all the AC systems are favourite homes for dangerous bacteria, etc. Your perfect home would be a simple house with wooden/clay/stone walls and floors, large windows, natural ventilation and minimalist decor. You can implement some of these major features in your house, but I would not recommend waisting your time on small issues (for example, special eco-firendly grout or glue) if you cannot replace isolation of your walls with straw or moss or buy lead-free nails to keep your walls and roof from collapsing. Make a list of the most important objects and surfaces in your house, select high-quality natural materials, make sure they are installed properly, forget about everything else and enjoy your beautiful home.

I hope you have a million dollars and a LOT of time. An awful lot of vibrant folks in their mid nineties should be long, long dead by now, from lead paint, copper plumbing, and lord knows what else.

Moderation in all things, perhaps......given their food choices should have also killed them.

Thanks everyone for your interest. Yes, nothing is perfect and all things in moderation. FWIW, the book I mentioned compares the trade-offs for various options (say, flooring or countertops, including issues to consider for each type of material). Also, some healthier materials are available close to home. Home Depot sells Greenguard Gold insulation, for example.

If anyone has resources or tips, I’d love to hear them. I have other links I could post, but it doesn’t sound like many people are looking at this now.

I appreciate that you're making the effort! If everyone would at least try to make a difference in any little way, collectively, it can only help. Thanks for the resources above.

Check out the Living Future institute:

https://living-future.org

They have listed on their site resources & red list items to avoid using in your home. It is possible to make renovations that avoid harmful chemicals, toxins and use locally sourced materials. It does take time & research.

Good luck & keep us informed!

Yes, I agree with living-future.org. However, I've been to their conference to get resources for building materials and work in the industry. During a panel discussion, members of the staff agreed that trying to be non-toxic and eco-friendly to meet their standards is extremely hard and can be costly. Even they said that there needs to be a better way. But their Red List is impressive. They have a lot of great information and resources.

This is awesome that you're looking into healthy paints and non toxic paint options! So many people are unaware that many standard paints are filled with harmful and potentially toxic chemicals.

For a more in-depth look at the issues with "standard" paints, check out this post on healthy, low VOC, and non toxic paints. The websites you listed look great as well, and I'd recommend doing ample research from multiple sources to avoid any biases.