Evaluating the Sustainability of Mineral Wool Use in Room Acoustic Improvements
Keywords:
Carbon footprint, Embodied energy, Mineral wool, Room acoustics, Sustainability, ToxicityAbstract
Porous materials are widely used to improve room acoustics, particularly where greater speech intelligibility and control of reverberation time are required. Mineral wool is among the most commonly used materials because of its acoustic performance and availability. However, its evaluation often emphasizes technical performance without fully considering sustainability. This study compares mineral wool with other porous materials using three sustainability indicators: carbon footprint, embodied energy, and toxicity. It also examines the environmental implications of mineral wool use and substitution in practical acoustic interventions. A comparative literature review was used to establish the sustainability profile of mineral wool. The findings were then applied to five case-study rooms in which mineral wool had been installed as part of an acoustic improvement system. For each case, the additional carbon footprint and embodied energy of the installed mineral wool were calculated and compared with substitution scenarios involving materials with equivalent acoustic functions. Toxicity was assessed through literature concerning potential health risks and indoor air quality. The analysis examines differences in environmental impact and potential health risks among materials and changes in room-level sustainability resulting from substitution. By integrating literature review with case-based calculations, the study proposes a sustainability-oriented framework for evaluating porous acoustic materials to inform material selection for room acoustic treatment.
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