Are today's paints, stains, and finishes hazardous to your health? Some experts certainly think so, while others feel that [indoor] environmentalists are overreacting. The debate began in 1987 when California became the first state to regulate the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in coatings. At the time, many people didn't even know what a VOC was.
A VOC is a chemical compound that easily evaporates (volatile) and contains one or more carbon atoms (organic). Formaldehyde is probably the most common VOC that is found in houses. Other VOCs include benzene, alcohol, toluene, and xylene. Many have names that are difficult to pronounce, like methylcyclopentane. There are actually several hundred different VOCs that have been identified in the air inside houses. Usually the quantity of any single one compound in indoor air is quite small. However, scientists are becoming increasingly concerned about the total effect of all the compounds added together.
VOCs are found in many different building materials besides paints. Such things as caulking, construction adhesives, and mastics all contribute their share to air pollution. VOCs are also components of gasoline, automobile exhaust, tobacco smoke, printing ink and cleaning products. Of all of the VOCs evaporated into the atmosphere, it is estimated that less than 2% are a result of consumer paints and coatings. While this may not seem like much, it should be remembered that these products are often applied indoors where people can be exposed to relatively high concentrations. In a 1988 report, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency found the concentration of VOCs indoors to be up to 100 times higher than the levels outdoors. Since indoor levels can be even higher when painting, it is important to open the windows for plenty of ventilation.
There are a wide range of negative health effects attributed to VOCs, depending on the particular compound and the concentration. These include relatively minor complaints such as eye, nose, and respiratory irritation. Of greater concern are the cancer-causing ability of some compounds. Medical sources have reported that when compared to electricians, painters are more likely to contract lung cancer, bladder cancer, biliary tract cancer and testicular cancer. The neurological effects of VOC exposure have also been documented in medical journals. They often include dizziness, nausea, fatigue, problems with arm strength, and feelings of getting "high."
Looking at the bigger picture, VOCs contribute to air pollution in general and may produce ozone. Ozone is an air pollutant itself that can cause symptoms of respiratory irritation, coughing, or headache. The parts of the United States where current VOC regulations are in effect tend to have ozone levels that are too high already.
When California enacted their VOC regulations, paint and coating manufacturers were forced to reformulate many of their products. At first, these new "low VOC" finishes didn't work very well. Painters complained about long drying times, poor flow and leveling characteristics.
Today, manufacturers have worked many of the bugs out of their new formulas and quality is again the name of the game. According to Carroll Bennett, Director of Marketing Architectural Coatings at Sherwin Williams Stores Group, "some of the new low VOC coatings are out-performing the high solvent finishes, however, as new laws go into effect, there may be some temporary tradeoffs in performance characteristics until technology catches up with the regulations."
With solvent-based coatings, the approach to reducing VOCs has been to lower the amount of solvent in the can. A traditional formula may have had as much as 80% solvent, while the newer coatings may reduce that to 40%. With less solvent, these coatings have more "solids" and while they may have greater hiding power, they can take longer to dry. Since the solvent itself is the primary source of VOCs, switching to water-based finishes can have a big effect on lowering VOC emissions. The water-based resins still require some solvent, but it may be only 10% of the formula.
Unfortunately, VOCs aren't the only problem in paints and coatings. In 1989 a four year old Michigan boy was diagnosed with a rare form of mercury poisoning called acrodynia after the interior of his family's home had been repainted with 17 gallons of latex paint. He suffered from symptoms of rapid heartbeat, redness and peeling of the skin, and he had such severe joint pain that he could no longer walk.
Mercury compounds were used in the latex paint as biocides to extend its shelf life. As the paint dried, mercury vapors were released into the air of the house. Biocides, by definition, are chemicals that are toxic to life, but some are safer than others for human beings. Since the Michigan incident, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control has studied several recently painted homes and found elevated levels of mercury in the the air and in the urine of the occupants. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ruled in 1990 that mercury could no longer be used in interior paints. Since only 25-30% of paint manufacturers used mercury compounds, the flap wasn't as great as when the VOC regulations were passed. Other less toxic biocides were quickly adapted to formulations.
While the United States has traditionally relied on laws and regulations to force companies to make changes in their products, Canada is taking a unique non-regulatory approach to getting safer products on the market. It involves a totally voluntary labeling program. The Environmental Choice program is administered by the Canadian Standards Association (CSA). CSA's goal is to implement guidelines for consumer products and to license manufacturers to use the new EcoLogo if they meet those requirements. Besides setting up standards for products such as recycled paper, cloth diapers, and heat recovery ventilators, they have developed guidelines for paints.
By seeing the EcoLogo on a product, consumers can be assured that it meets CSA's environmental guidelines. However, that doesn't mean that the products are 100% safe. CSA is interested in letting consumers know which products are currently the best on the market. Once the guidelines are established, they will be updated every three years as the technology to create healthier products advances.
To qualify for an EcoLogo, water-based paints must first be effective - they must stick to the wall and provide good coverage. Secondly, they must contain no formaldehyde, halogenated solvents, aromatic hydrocarbons, or compounds containing mercury, lead, cadmium, or chromium. They cannot have a flash point below 61 degrees Centigrade, and they must not contain more than 250 grams/liter of VOCs. The guideline for solvent-based paints is similar, although a lower flash point is allowed (37.8 degrees Centigrade), VOCs must be below 380 grams/liter, and up to 10% aromatic hydrocarbons are permissible.
The purpose of the CSA guidelines is to provide a universal symbol that consumers can use to determine whether a product is environmentally sound. According to CSA's Ahmad Husseini, manufacturers see the EcoLogo as key to increased sales. He said that at least one company is going to reformulate their entire line to qualify.
Labeling programs like Canada's, or mandated regulations as in the United States are important because of 'green washing'. This involves manufacturers placing phrases such as "all natural" or "environmentally safe" on their products without actually changing their formula. Such words, as yet, have no real legal meaning. Consumers need to know products have been properly tested and meet certain well defined health or environmental requirements to intelligently choose between different brands.
There is a growing market of hypersensitive individuals whose health is negatively affected by low levels of the many different chemicals found in our everyday environment. These people suffer from multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS), and they must be very careful to limit their exposure to chemicals. Several manufacturers have created paints and finishes just for this market. AFM Enterprises Inc. of Riverside, CA has a complete line of paints, stains, and adhesives for the "environmentally aware" public.
Since 1988 the Miller Paint Co. of Portland Oregon has been supplying a paint without biocides. Without the biocides, it has a shorter shelf life (approximately six months), and must be special ordered. Miller ships several hundred gallons a month to sensitive individuals across the country.
For environmentally conscious consumers concerned about diminishing petroleum reserves, some companies are promoting "all natural" coatings. Three different brands (Livos, Auro, and Biofa) are currently being imported from Germany that contain natural tree resins, plant extracts, natural oils, and clay or mineral pigments, rather than man-made petrochemical based materials. Erick Hufschmid, of the Concord, NH based BAU Inc., has been importing Biofa finishes and has been pleased with the type of clientele that he has been attracting: pregnant women, families with small children, and people who just don't like the odor of conventional paint.
While the German finishes are made from natural ingredients, they are not odor free. They often contain lemon or other citrus oils to give them a pleasant aroma. While not toxic in the traditional sense, some users find the odor objectionable. For the purist, The Old Fashioned Milk Paint Company in Groton, MA makes a powdered product that is based on an old casein formula. It is primarily sold as a finish for antique furniture, although it has been used as a wall paint. It contains only milk products, hydrated lime, and natural earth pigments.
For years, lead was the major concern in paint. Is is estimated that over half of the houses built prior to 1960 contain heavily leaded paint. Since it wasn't until 1978 that the Consumer Product Safety Commission lowered the legal maximum lead content in paint to just a trace amount, any house built prior to about 1980 may contain lead paint. While some children do eat lead chips by chewing on lead painted woodwork, the greater danger is from lead dust. One of the properties of lead paint is that it will chalk off. This is a self cleaning process, but the chalking releases very fine lead dust that can be easily absorbed into the system.
If window sash has been coated with lead based paint, opening and closing them will erode the paint. This results in lead dust on the window sill that can be blown into the room by the wind when the window is open. A child standing at a window with his hands on the sill can get a considerable amount of lead dust on his fingers, and it is normal for a child to put his fingers into his mouth. James Keck, of Leadtec Services Inc., a Baltimore, MD lead abatement consultant, has seen a lot of lead dust on window sills. In some cases, there is enough that the amount picked up by a child's single moistened finger tip, if ingested, would result in excessive lead levels in that child's system.
Among other things, Keck's firm teaches contractors how to remove lead paint. He stresses that it should not be done without proper training, safety gear, and cleaning equipment, because sanding or scraping can easily release unhealthy levels of lead into the air.
Today's coatings are obviously far safer than some of the products that were used in past decades. They are even safer than coatings of just a few short years ago. As Carl Minchew, a Division Operations Manager for Benjamin Moore and Company says, "We try to make our paints as safe as possible for both users and our employees, based on today's knowledge and technology."
A new breed of painters, like Mitch Fine of San Francisco's Armstrong Painting Company, don't think that the major producers are improving their formulas fast enough. "When painting indoors, our crews only use the alternative paints that were developed for sensitive people." says Fine, "They work just as well and don't contain additives like ethylene glycol, a neurotoxin."
As manufacturers, painting contractors, and consumers alike become more aware of these potential hazards, paints and other coatings will no doubt be even safer in the future.
(This article is from the archives of the original Healthy House Institute, and the information was believed accurate at the time of writing.)
(Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily represent those of The Healthy House Institute, LLC.)
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