Do you know what one of the top 5 leading health risks are in the US according to the EPA? Try indoor air. That's right, the air in your house. And one of the leading causes of that problem are the paints, varnishes and solvents we use containing VOC's. VOC stands for Volatile Organic Compound and has been a key component of the composition of oil based paint and can be a problem even in traditional latex based paints.
Exposure to VOC's in paint can trigger asthma attacks, eye irritation and respiratory problems, nausea and dizziness among other symptoms. Prolonged exposure has been linked to kidney and liver disease and even cancer.
Given the health concerns of consumers and new government regulations, alternative paints have been coming on the market over the past few years and now present a well rounded, economical choice over VOC intensive paints. Voluntary standards for VOC content in alternative paint products have been established by Green Seal®, an independent non-profit who sets standards for environmentally responsible or "green" products. The Green Seal certification for Standard GS-11 is based on VOC content, the absence of chemicals, durability and performance among other criteria.
The different types of healthy alternative paints include:
<!--[if !supportLists]-->·Low Odor or Low VOC Paint <!--[endif]-->
<!--[if !supportLists]-->·Non-Toxic or Natural Paint<!--[endif]-->
The Green Seal organization sets much more stringent standards than the EPA for acceptable VOC levels in paint. For interior flat paint, the EPA allows levels of 250 grams per liter (g/L) while Green Seal allows only 50 g/L.
The other important benefit is that Green Seal prevents the use of the following nasty chemicals in the production of the paint:
"Although many of the toxic materials found in paints have been reduced in recent years due to legislation, especially among latex paints, some may still be released as the paint dries and the compounds volatilize, while others continue to be released into the ambient environment after the paint dries when there is no detectable odor...Paint emissions can continue for extended periods of time after application and Sparks et al. (1999) estimated that less than 50% of the VOC's in latex paint (applied to a surface) are emitted in the first year. Compounds studied include ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, Texanol®, and butoxyethanol."
So the bottom line is that VOC's continue to be released well after paint is dry.
Now that we have a good understanding of what VOC's are and the health risk standard paint can have especially to young children and people with asthma, let's review each type of alternative paint and see what they are made from and how they differ as an alternate choice to standard paints.
First of all, there is no clear mandatory standard for what constitutes a Low-VOC paint or a Zero-VOC paint. Even the voluntary standards that do exist do not include VOC's from the pigment added at the paint store when you tint the paint at purchase. Also, please be aware that just like a lot of other "organic" marketing going on with our milk and foods, some companies use Low-VOC or No-VOC paint as a marketing term. Further, because these terms are confusing, a lot of store clerks may improperly inform you as to the actual VOC status of a paint. It will ultimately be up to you to read the labels on the paint can and see if they at least meet the Green Seal GS-11 Standard or better.
Low Odor or Low VOC Paint are terms used to describe VOC content that meets the less stringent EPA standard of 250 g/L for latex paints or 380 g/L for oil based paint. But here's where it gets confusing. A paint may be labeled Low VOC and be significantly BETTER than these standards. For example, if you buy a Green Seal certified paint, the maximum VOC content will be 50 g/L for flat paint or 150 g/L for other paint, not 250 g/L as per the EPA standard.
So Low Odor or Low VOC paints are generally marketed by reputable paint manufacturers as at least meeting the 50 g/L VOC threshold, with many paints doing better than this. You should look for a VOC range of 10-25 g/L.
An example of a paint that meets this spec is Pristine Eco-Spec Paint by Benjamin Moore & Co. (www.benjaminmoore.com)
Zero VOC or NO VOC paint is a misnomer and only means very, very low levels of VOC. Usually paints marketed with these titles will have VOC's in the range of under 5 g/L. Even when adding in pigment at the paint store which can add 2-5 g/L of VOC, the total VOC content for the mixed paint should be under 10 g/L which is excellent.
This low level of VOC content paint is as good as it's going to get with the larger paint companies.
An example of a paint that meets this spec is Harmony® Paint by Sherwin-Williams. (www.sherwin.com)
To get lower VOC content than this you'll need to use more expensive and less readily available Non-Toxic or Natural Paint.
Non-Toxic or Natural Paints are mostly manufactured by alternative paint companies. These paints will be harder to find and you may have to order them on line. They are made from natural ingredients and although they are environmentally friendly and healthy, you may experience some performance difference in the way the paint covers (or doesn't) and flows off the brush. Just be aware that these paints don't all act like the mass produced paints to which we've become accustomed.
That being said, Non-Toxic or Natural Paints are as safe as paint gets. Their raw ingredients are all natural and include things like:
<!--[if !supportLists]-->·earth and mineral dyes and other ingredients.<!--[endif]-->
Although these paints may have small amounts of ingredients such as latex milk protein, allergic reactions are very uncommon and these paints remain the safest type of paints you can use.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->·Old Fashioned Milk Paint Company (www.milkpaint.com)<!--[endif]-->
For reference, Green Seal has certified the following companies and products as having met at least the GS-11 Standard for Low VOC content. There are many others that also meet the standard but these are the ones that have had Green Seal certify their product and can display the Green Seal mark:
<!--[if !supportLists]-->·Benjamin Moore Benjamin Moore's Eco-Spec Interior line<!--[endif]-->
