What’s in Your Paint?

We all know that when you paint, you get that new paint smell. What you might not know is that you’re sniffing Volatile Organic Compounds or VOC’s. 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. You might think that once the paint is dry and you don’t smell the paint any more that you’re in the clear. Not so. VOC’s continue to be released well after paint is dry. So, your best bet is to start out with paint that has low VOC’s. Since we’re in the process of painting our house, I found it imperative to find out more about paint – what to use, what to avoid.

I was happy to find out that voluntary standards for VOC content in alternative paint products have been established by Green Seal, an independent non-profit that sets standards for environmentally responsible or “green” products. For interior flat paint, the EPA allows levels of 250 grams per liter (g/L) while Green Seal allows only 50 g/L.

The different types of healthy alternative paints include:

1. Low Odor or Low VOC Paint– EPA standard for VOC paint is 250 g/L but if you look for a Green Seal certified paint, the maximum VOC content will be much lower, maximum 50 g/L for flat paint or 150 g/L for other paint. Look for a VOC range of 10-25 g/L. Example: Eco-Spec Paint by Benjamin Moore.
2. Zero VOC Paint– Paint with pigment added is under 10 g/L. Example: Zero-VOC Olympic Premium Interior line available at Lowe’s. This is the one we’re going to use in our house.
3. Non-Toxic or Natural Paint – More expensive, less readily available; made by alternative paint companies such as Bio Shield, Livos, Auro and Old Fashioned Milk Paint Company; natural ingredients include clay, plant and mineral dyes and plant oils; may not perform like traditional mass produced paint.

When you choose a Green Seal certified paint, here’s what you won’t get in your paint:

• Halomethanes (methylene chloride)
• Chlorinated ethanes (1,1,1-trichloroethane)
• Aromatic solvents (benzene, toluene (methylbenzene), ethylbenzene)
• Chlorinated ethylenes (vinyl chloride)
• Polynuclear aromatics (naphthalene
• Chlorobenzenes (1,2-dichlorobenzene)
• Phthalate esters (di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, butyl benzyl phthalate, di-n-butyl phthalate, di-n-octyl phthalate, diethyl phthalate, dimethyl phthalate
• Miscellaneous semi-volatile organics (isophorone)
• Heavy metals and their compounds (antimony, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, lead, mercury)
• Preservatives (formaldehyde)
• Ketones (methyl ethyl ketone, methyl isobutyl ketone)
• Miscellaneous volatile organics (acrolein, acrylonitrile)

Look for the Green Seal logo or a statement that the paint meets Green Seal Standard GS-11. Click on Green Seal to see a list of certified companies and products.

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