Is Your Paint Killing You? 

Most people are completely unaware that the overwhelming majority of paints used to paint their homes, workplaces, hospitals and schools (both inside and out) are extremely toxic.

All the well-known paint brands contain very high levels of solvents that use Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). The average tin of Acrylic household paint contains up to a third VOC based solvents (based on volume). A tin of enamel paint can be nearly half VOC based solvents!!   

Health Issues of Paint

Research conducted by the US Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) shows that exposure to paints containing Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) has serious implications for your health.

Health problems that can arise from short-term exposure to VOC-based paints include:

• Eye and respiratory tract irritation
• Headaches 
• Dizziness
• Visual disorders
• Memory impairment

Long-term exposure to VOC-based paints can result in respiratory diseases and life threatening cancer. Newly painted rooms can have air pollution levels up to 1,000 times higher than the air outdoors. 

Recent research has identified VOC-based paints as a possible cause of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDs) amongst new born babies as a consequence of being placed in a freshly painted room. (Source: the Wannabee Foundation www.wannabee.org.au)  

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) - Paints and finishes release low level toxic emissions into the air for years after application. The source of these toxins is a variety of VOC's (Volatile Organic Compounds) which, until recently, were essential to the performance of the paint. It is very unsafe to be exposed to these compounds in large quantities or over extended periods of time. 

Lead-based Paints - Lead has long been recognized as a harmful environmental pollutant. In late 1991, the US Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services called lead the "number one environmental threat to the health of children in the United States."

Old lead-based paint is the most significant source of lead exposure. Harmful exposures to lead can be created when lead-based paint is improperly removed from surfaces by dry scraping, sanding, or open-flame burning. High concentrations of airborne lead particles in homes can also result from lead dust from outdoor sources, including contaminated soil tracked inside, and use of lead in certain indoor activities such as soldering and stained-glass making. 

Health Effects of Exposure to Lead 

Lead affects practically all systems within the body. At high levels it can cause convulsions, coma, and even death. Lower levels of lead can adversely affect the brain, central nervous system, blood cells, and kidneys. The effects of lead exposure on an unborn child in the womb and young children can be severe. 

New awareness of the health implication of VOC-based paints, stricter environmental regulations and consumer demand, have led to the development of low-VOC and zero-VOC paints and finishes that contain no toxic materials like lead. These new paints are durable, cost-effective and less harmful to human and environmental health.