April
2002
Paints:
Not Always a Pretty Picture
By Angela Starks
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WARNING: Harmful if swallowed. May cause slight skin
irritation and eye irritation. Vapor and spray mist may be harmful
if inhaled.
CAUTION:
Use with adequate ventilation. Where ventilation is inadequate use
a suitable respirator. In case of eye contact, flush eyes immediately
with water for at least 15 minutes. Do not take internally. Keep
out of the reach of children.
You may have seen this kind of wording on most standard cans of household
paint. Sometimes there’s a more lengthy warning with all kinds
of contraindications, depending on the formulation, some containing
more than 300 toxic chemicals and 150 carcinogens. The four main
components
of paint are: resins for adhesion and durability; pigments for color
and coverage; various additives to maximize performance; and solvents,
usually the largest component of paint, which dissolve and disperse
the other ingredients.
Because of their chemical constituents, it should come as no surprise
that paints have a major impact on the air that we breathe. According
to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), indoor air—which
is three times more polluted than outdoor air—is considered
to be one of the top five hazards to human health, and kills an estimated
11,400 people every year. Paints and finishes are among the leading
causes, partly because they are such a chemical cocktail and partly
because of the sheer amount of surface area they cover. We are exposed
to paint wherever we go, whether at home, in the office, in stores,
at school and even in hospitals.
To make matters worse, today’s energy-efficient buildings seal
in the vapors which allows them to accumulate.
That “Just Painted” Smell
Paints and finishes release low level toxic emissions into the air
for months and sometimes years after application. The source of these
toxins
are Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). Some examples are benzene,
ethylene glycol, vinyl chloride and mercury. VOCs are in all oil-based
paints
as solvents. Many latex paints (which use water as the “solvent” or
carrier) also contain VOCs, which until recently were considered
essential to the performance of the paint. They usually come from
additives,
such as fungicides, biocides, color, and spreading agents.
Paint is applied wet and must undergo a drying process, and sometimes
a chemical reaction, in order to form a solid layer on the wall or
other
surface. It is primarily during this drying or chemical process that
the VOCs and other paint components are given off. This outgassing
happens
because even the densest material isn’t really solid; there
are spaces between the molecules, and those molecules work their
way into
the atmosphere just like they do during water evaporation. A great
number of paints are made with especially high levels of VOCs so
that they
will dry faster. They become a breathable gas at room temperature
and are the fumes that you smell while you paint, and sometimes several
days after.
We are all familiar with that ‘just painted’ smell; you either
love it or hate it. But it’s more than a matter of olfactory preferences.
When these VOCs offgas, they can result in the nagging headaches, flu-like
symptoms and generally ‘run-down’ feeling that many people
experience after a weekend of D.I.Y. Other symptoms include nausea,
dizziness, irritation of the eyes and respiratory tract, allergic
reactions
and behavioral problems. Long-term exposure is implicated in more
serious illnesses such as heart, lung or kidney damage and even cancer.
Certain
people are particularly susceptible to these effects, including those
with weakened immune systems or chemical sensitivities, asthmatics,
young children and the elderly.
Paints also frequently contain skin-degrading solvents. Skin complaints
brought on by contact with paint range from mild irritation to extreme
forms of dermatitis. Subcutaneous poisoning (i.e., the passage of toxic
substances through the skin) can also occur. Abraded skin, cuts and
lesions naturally facilitate the absorption, but to varying degrees,
intact skin also has the capacity to allow the passage of toxic substances.
Choosing Paint
Despite its toxicity and the relatively large surface area that it covers,
paint selection is often an afterthought. The color may be carefully
considered, but few people care which brand is used as long as it does
the job pretty well. However, because of health and safety concerns,
new environmental regulations, and just enough consumer demand, paint
manufacturers around the country have made great strides in formulating
paints that have no or low VOCs and that provide excellent results.
When shopping for paint, do not be fooled by what some store clerks
may tout as “low VOC” products. These may meet the EPA standards—which
call for no more than 250 g/l (grams per liter) of VOCs in “low
VOC” latex paints and no more than 380 g/l for “low VOC”
oil-based paints—but these limits are based primarily on reducing
ozone formation in the outside air and not on health considerations
for indoor air. Many local and state governments in the U.S., including
New York City, have a Green Building Program.
To be officially approved as “green,” buildings are required
to use paints with no more than 150 g/l of VOCs, though they encourage
even lower levels (0 to 100). It is preferable to use zero or no
VOC
paint (less than one g/l), especially for those with chemical sensitivities.
As a basic rule of thumb, using a product with the lowest VOC content
should yield the lowest overall health risk.
To check the VOC content of a paint, turn to the back of the paint
can or the lid and look for the VOC level which is usually expressed
in
terms of grams per liter, or it may simply state, for example, “under
250” in which case you might want to contact the manufacturer
to determine the actual figure.
VOC level doesn’t tell the whole story, however. Because EPA
regulations are based on ozone reduction, toxic chemicals that do
not form ozone
are excluded from the required calculations, as are toxic metals.
Many paints and finishes also contain toxic additives for other short-term
effects, such as killing fungus, mildew, or insects. For detailed
information
about a specific paint, call the manufacturer and ask for the Material
Safety Data Sheet which lists hazardous ingredients.
Finally, when a product has an EPA registration number this means
that it contains toxic ingredients which the EPA is mandated to monitor.
So remember, the fact that the product is registered with the EPA
does
not mean it is safe to use—it means the opposite!
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