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Paint is one of the easiest ways to give a room
a face-lift, but some of the chemicals in paint can increase
indoor air pollution.
Why do you care?
- According to Health Canada, Canadians spend 90% of our time
indoors. Yikes.
- Indoor air is three times more polluted than outdoor air
and that paint is rated among its top five environmental hazards.
(ref:US Environmental Protection Agency)
- Many conventional paints contain Volatile Organic Compounds
- which means that they "all chemicals containing carbon
and hydrogen." There are probably several thousand chemicals,
synthetic and natural, that can be called VOCs.
- While VOCs vary greatly in their safety, ranging from those
that are highly toxic to those with no known health effects,
most VOCs found in paints fall into the former category such
as benzene, formaldehyde, kerosene, ammonia, toluene and xylene,
which are known carcinogens and neurotoxins.
- The more VOCs a paint contains, the stronger the odour.
- VOCs have concerns both to personal health and the health
of the environment:
- Personal Health
- VOCs have been linked with respiratory condition;
skin and eye irritation; headaches; nausea; muscle
weakness; nerve damage; and more serious ailments
like liver disease and lung cancer.
- Children, seniors, and those with compromised immune
systems are particularly vulnerable to the vapours
released by paint and other chemical products.
- Environment
- The VOCs emitted by solvents found in most paints
contribute to the formation of ground level ozone
and indoor air pollution.
- Indoor air studies have found that the level of
volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, present while
paint is drying can be 1,000 times higher than outdoor
levels.
- Another concern with older paint is lead. In homes built
before 1978, chances are some paint in the house contains
lead.
The Know How
- While it is virtually impossible to eliminate all toxins
and VOCs from paint and other finishing products, there are
safer alternatives. They fall into the following categories
zero-VOC; low-VOC; and natural.
- Most zero- and low-VOC paints are positioned as premium
products in the market, they offer the same high performance
as their conventional counterparts, just without the noxious
chemicals.
- Low- and zero-VOC paints can now be found at most stores
selling paint and from brand-name manufacturers.
- Zero-VOC: Considered the safest for people with chemical
sensitivities, children and those with compromised immune
systems, zero-VOC paints are not allowed to contain more
than five grams of VOCs per litre.
- Low-VOC (VOCs less than 200 grams per litre): VOC levels
vary considerably among low-VOC paints, because pigments
add some VOCs, as well as toxins, to the base paint -
The deeper the hue, the more pigment needed.
- Natural: Made primarily from renewable or natural materials
such as citrus oil, lime, clay, linseed oil, and even
powdered casein (milk protein), natural paints are considered
the healthiest and most environmentally friendly. Natural
paints do not contain petroleum products and therefore
they emit few, if any VOCs.
- Natural paints do have a few disadvantages. In that
they take longer to dry and they are not always compatible
with existing latex paint surfaces. This means that using
them may require more extensive surface preparation or
the addition of synthetic, and not always nontoxic, additives.
- For a list of what paints are on the market visit Eartheasy
or The
Green Guide.
- If you are concerned about lead in paint many local health
departments often have resources to aid homeowners who want
to test their homes for lead and reduce the chance that children
will be exposed to old lead paint or other sources of lead.
Know and Tell
- Patti had their main floor living areas painted with low
VOC, low odour Duration by Sherwin-Williams
and she has found the paint durability to be excellent.
- Tamey did use a low VOC paint for the kitchen a few years
ago. It went on well; with much less odour than previous paints
and the colour was stunning. The one issue she has with the
paint is that when she washes the walls some of the paint
comes of.
1 Health Canada, Indoor Air Quality in Office
Buildings: A Technical Guide, 2007-12-09
2. The Green Guide
3. The Healthy Home Workbook, by Kimberly Rider
4. Eartheasy.com
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