The Effects of VOCs in Paint on Indoor Air Quality
Indoor air is one of the top five health risks according to the Environmental Protection
Agency in the USA. One of the main contributors to a deteriorating indoor air quality are the paints and solvents used.
Solvents contain VOC, which stands for Volatile Organic Compounds. Volatile Organic
Compounds are compounds that have high enough vapour pressures to vapourize under
normal temperatures and conditions that enter the Earth’s atmosphere. They can be
synthetic or they can be natural but that has no affect on whether they are harmful to the
atmosphere or inhabitants of the indoors of buildings.
VOCs were used extensively in the manufacturing of paints, coatings, glues and other
construction materials. Oil based paints and solvents in particular had a very high level of
VOCs. The levels in latex, or acrylic based paints were lower but still significant enough to
be harmful.
In the 80s, especially after scientists started realizing the effect on the Earth’s ozone layer,
governments started regulating the toxic levels of many substances including paints and
coatings. It should be noted here, that the focus of governments and industry later, was
mostly on Volatile Organic Compounds within paint, that affect the atmosphere by reacting
with sunlight to produce low levels of ozone.
Although the main reasons for doing so were atmospheric and the damage to the
environment, the result was a closer look at the health effects of VOCs on indoor air. From
eye irritations to asthma attacks, dizziness and nausea, to the long term effects on the liver
and kidneys and cancer, solvents, Exposure to VOC's is now well known to be very harmful.
Regulations aside, this new discussion and knowledge has educated consumers on the
harmful effects of paints and solvents. That “smell of new paint” was not associated with
fresh or clean any more.
Paint manufacturers responded to this new reality by reducing the amount of VOCs in paint
and producing and marketing paints that contain less harmful substances. Almost every
paint company now has a zero VOC line or two of paint, available and widely marketed.
When the marketplace and industry are after the same general purpose, the obvious result
is better and safer paint.
Taking this issue to the next level, closer attention is paid to the effects of other substances
in paint that are not regulated for atmospheric purposes by the government. More money is
spent on Research and Development on how to produce paint that is safe to use and be
exposed to. As a result, new paints are produced by the mainstream manufacturers that
claim to be, and many times are, safer to use. Beyond the “me too” hype of everything
being sold and being environmentally friendly, paints now are safer and getting to be safer, to consumers and applicators.
