How to Choose Safer, Healthier Paint Products

Brightening Up Your Home Without Breathing in Chemicals

Sep 2, 2008

Paint that contains volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that cause illness and physical discomfort can be replaced with certified chemical-free products.

Paint has been associated with breathing in volatile organic compounds (VOC), which cause dizziness, headaches and general physical discomfort. Now paints are available that are brighten up your home without leaving behind detrimental chemicals.

Paint with Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)

Paint that gives off with what has been called “new paint smell” may include such chemicals such as ammonia, formaldehyde, phthalates, toluene and heavy metals. As these paints dry, they evaporate, polluting the indoor air. The paint can be either water-based latex or petroleum based alkyd types. Latex is usually less toxic then alkyd and is easier to clean up with water.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency describes volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as gases from certain solids or liquid, some of which have short-or-long term adverse health effects. These may be in paints and lacquers, paint strippers and varnishes. The EPA’s Total Exposure Assessment Methodology (TEAM) studies found that while people are using products containing organic chemicals, they can expose themselves and others to very high pollution levels, and elevated concentrations can persist in the air long after the activity is completed.

Paint with VOCs – Health Effects

Paint with VOCs can cause many detrimental health effects, including eye, nose, and throat irritation, headaches, loss of co-ordination and nausea and damage to liver, kidney and the central nervous system. The damages that are caused by VOCs vary with how much toxicity is associated with the chemicals. The full extent about damage by VOCs is not completely known, but there is enough evidence available to warrant caution in using products that contain them.

Paint Labeling

Paint labeling can sometimes be confusing, as some that are labeled “low odor” may only use additional chemicals to hide odors from VOCs.

Not all low-VOC products are the same, so reading the labels is important. Paint that contains less than 150 gm/l of VOCs is recommended. If color is added to a paint, it increases the VOC content, so to keep toxins low, all-white paint is recommended.

Paint from Earth-based materials

Paint from earth-based material has been used for centuries and is made from clay, milk, lime and plant or mineral-derived pigments that perform almost the same as chemical-based products. These usually come as a powder and must be mixed with water.

Paint Certification

Paint can be certified by the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute. GEI is an industry independent, non-profit organization that oversees the GREENGUARD Certification Program (SM). Their mission statement is “to protect human health and quality of life through programs that improve indoor air that people breathe.”

To avoid using VOC-laden products, read the labels carefully, make sure any color that is added does not contain chemicals that can give off health-threatening pollution.

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The copyright of the article How to Choose Safer, Healthier Paint Products in Home Interiors is owned by Martha R. Gore. Permission to republish How to Choose Safer, Healthier Paint Products in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.