GOOD EARTHKEEPING, Feb. 3
By: Sandy Batty
Paint seems like one of the few things in life we can take for granted; slap it on and forget it. But the way we select and use paint actually does affect air quality and health.
"Architectural coatings" (the industry term for paint) contain volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, which are certain organic compounds with a high tendency to evaporate at room temperature. All oil-based and most latex paints have solvents containing VOCs. Solvents are the component responsible for the fumes and odors given off by paint during and after application. Generally, the stronger the smell, the higher the VOC content. Darker paints (with more pigment) usually have more VOCs than light or white ones, and oil-based paints have much higher levels than latex. The period during and just after application is the most problematic. As paint dries, VOCs evaporate until, eventually, the dried paint no longer emits an odor or VOCs.
Unfortunately, VOCs are a main ingredient of ozone and smog, major air pollutants in New Jersey. Almost every county in New Jersey regularly exceeds federal ozone limits throughout the warm months of the year. This is a serious problem because ozone and smog can cause lung irritation, shortness of breath and asthma attacks.
VOCs alone also can be the cause of health problems. When paint is applied indoors, chemically sensitive individuals, young children, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems may experience lung or throat irritation, asthma attacks, nausea or allergic-type reactions.
In an attempt to improve air quality, federal and state laws have set limits on the amount of VOCs allowed in architectural coatings. However, paints vary substantially within those limits. A paint touted as "low VOC" under the new limits proposed for New Jersey may still contain 99 mg. of VOC per liter (more in many other states), enough to cause a reaction in a sensitive person, and still contribute to ozone formation.
A number of manufacturers including Benjamin-Moore, Pittsburgh Paints and Sherwin-Williams have developed very low- or no-VOC lines of paint. Hospitals and schools often use these products to minimize health impacts on their clients and staff. Individual consumers and businesses can look for these paints to avoid adding VOCs to the indoor air, especially in rooms where children play or sleep.
Additional strategies can reduce paint-related air pollution and health impacts:
Do not buy oil-based paint, and dispose of old oil paint through your county’s hazardous-waste disposal program.
Always have good ventilation when applying paint.
Do not paint on ozone alert days unless you are using no-VOC paint.
Prepare surfaces correctly so that the paint you do apply will last as long as possible.
Buy only as much paint as you need (measure area to be painted).
Store leftover paint in a tightly closed container in a cool place away from living spaces.
Donate unused cans of paint to a re-sale store or find someone who can use them.
It is worth the extra effort to protect air quality, indoors and outdoors, because our health is our most important possession.
Sandy Batty is executive director of the Association of New Jersey Environmental Commissions, a nonprofit organization that works with citizens and local officials to promote long-term natural resource protection and sustainable development. For further information, contact ANJEC at (973) 539-7547 or www.anjec.org.