The impact of petrochemical paint ingredients on human health
Some effects from the toxic ingredients of paints include...
Safe…
VOC’s
Synthetic paints and fire
The main environmental impacts of conventional paints are...
The five main types of paint

Some natural paints contain solvents, what’s the difference..?
Are water-based paints better...?

This rather scary collective of long words is something you’ve probably not heard since attending your 5th form science lab as a pupil. Bear with it and you’ll hopefully learn some rather useful stuff, if not just scan through or go to all the positive info on the rest of this lovely website.

The impact of petrochemical paint ingredients on human health

Conventional petro-chemical oil-based paints and varnishes contain many complex volatile chemicals which remain volatile long after they have been applied to our walls and woodwork. Hence that paint smell which lingers… go to synthetic paint ingredients for a list of what is to be found in most petro-chemical paints and their potential effect on our health.

Paints and other finishes (like stains and varnishes) are some of the most notorious violators of indoor air quality in our homes. One reason for their bad reputation is that paints, stains, and other finishes often release (offgas) substantial quantities of volatile organic chemicals (VOCs). Because of out-gassing, the early months of inhabitation can be taxing, indeed even harmful, to one's health. For people who are chemically sensitive, the effect can be devastating.

So what do we do if we fancy a change to our home? Serious atmospheric pollutants don't tally well with our organic eating, recycle everything consciousness. And, however nice our kids room may look with a makeover, do we really want them sleeping in wall-to-wall chemicals? go to top

Some effects from the toxic ingredients of paints include:

  • depression of the central nervous system,
  • causing headaches,
  • nausea and giddiness,
  • irritation to the skin, eyes, and respiratory track,
  • asthma, anaemia and bronchitis.

In 1989 the World Health Organisation reported that painting as an occupation was carcinogenic. Painters suffered from lung cancer 40% above the average and their children, too, were more prone to cancer.
In the indoor environment of buildings there is off-gassing from ingredients used in building materials, paints and furniture, and also from equipment. This may result in poor indoor air quality, particularly in a well insulated building where the drafts have been eradicated. The effect on the people using the building may be lowered vitality, more asthma and respiratory illnesses, headaches, and other symptoms of what has now come to be known as Sick Building Syndrome.
Dust can also be a problem for allergy sufferers; many petrochemical paints, such as vinyl emulsions, use plastic based binders that become statically charged and, much like a vinyl music record, painted surfaces attract dust. Natural paints do not suffer in the same way and so reduce this build up of dust levels within a building.
And, however nice our kids room may look with a makeover, do we really want them sleeping in wall-to-wall chemicals?
Environmentally safe products may take a little longer to dry than their chemical counterparts but that's a very small price to pay for health and ecological reassurance. And remember, green paint comes in all sorts of colours! go to top
Safe...
Both the production and use of paint/finishes can lead to major environmental problems. One tonne of paint can produce as much as thirty tonnes of solid waste, much of which is not degradable. Some paints may also contain heavy metals such as cadmium (a substance highly toxic to the heart, kidneys and liver and used particularly in yellow, orange & red pigments), and titanium. These often get discharged from factories into rivers and estuaries.

Some parts of the industry have responded to the problems of using heavy metals by switching to using 'azo dyes'. These may be safer than heavy metals but their production involves highly dangerous halogens, chlorine and fluorine, in the intermediate stage. Although relatively inert as finished products, the by-products of production can include sulphuric acid, heavy metals and chlorinated hydro-carbons. These paints also consume a high level of energy during production and are hazardous when the building materials are disposed of or subject to fire.

Synthetic solvents are mainly derived from petro-chemicals. These substances do not break down easily. The waste that is produced is also non-degradable and can be highly toxic. Their manufacture produces nearly as much atmospheric pollution as vehicle exhausts. go to top
For example: - A 40 million to 1 dilution is necessary to render 'Water soluble gloss paint' harmless before entering the sewage system - the equivalent of rinsing a paint brush under a tap for a week!

VOC’s
Volatile organic compounds (VOC's) are used by the major paint manufacturers as solvents, they evaporate very readily, entering your body through breathing the fumes, when painting and the water supply through washing out brushes and pouring the waste down the drain. VOC's react in the atmosphere leading to the formation of smog containing secondary pollutants like ground-level ozone and peroxyacetyl nitrate. Many paints and treatments also include fungicides, added to them in order to prevent mould. These include tributyl tin (listed as 'highly hazardous' by the World Health Organisation), carbamates & permethrin should all be avoided. See our article Volatile Organic Compounds go to top
A major test to establish the environmental status of any paint or finish is to establish how to dispose of the product. Green paints and treatments are available that can be safely composted. They are created from natural plant oils and waxes and are suspended in plant based solvents. The products sometimes cost a little more, but if you think about how long you are going to live with the paints and treatments that you use, and consider your health, and the environmental impact of paint, then they simply work out much cheaper and are definitely worth investing in.
Synthetic paints and fire
Synthetic paints are combustible and can catch and spread fire readily from one area to the next, giving off clouds of highly toxic smoke that can asphyxiate a victim very quickly. This extra fire intensity and spread, and heavy toxic smoke, makes it very dangerous for rescuers and fire fighters.

In America where there are a lot of timber frame houses, and even masonry structures with wood stud/gypsum interiors, little time is left for escape and the structure is generally completely consumed by the fire. Major old structures, mostly built out of stone, are still subject to quick flame spread, heavy toxic smoke, and high heat when painted with synthetic products. Although more of the structure would be standing, due to its stone/masonry construction, the interior would most likely be destroyed.
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The main environmental impacts of conventional paints are:
They are the products of complex petro-chemical processes and ingredients. Additives are used for pigments, binding agents, hardeners, dryers, thickeners, surficants, anti-foaming agents, emulsifiers, fungicides, etc. The manufacturing process therefore requires a high energy input.
Being made from complex manufactured processes, they are very slow to bio-degrade, and emit toxins in the process. It is estimated that over 10 million tons a year of paint are used world wide on buildings, but during manufacture an equal, or even larger, amount of solid waste is produced.

They usually contain volatile organic compounds (VOC’s). VOC’s are used as solvents and evaporate rapidly contributing to atmospheric pollution, particularly to accumulations of low level ozone.
Strippers and cleansers, such as white spirit and meths, are highly toxic to the environment and to sewage systems.
If the walls and ceilings of a typical room were coated with an inorganic coating, the non-combustible structural substrate area would be over 70 percent. This significant reduction in available flame spread would be expected to slow the fire down and possibly keep it localised, giving more time for escape and less danger to the rescuers and firemen. go to top
The Five Main Types of Paint
Five main types of paint, placed in order, with the least desirable first. go to top

 Synthetic solvent-borne
The ingredients for these come almost exclusively from the petrochemicals industry. They are usually produced with high energy processes from a raw material which has a high energy content and is a finite resource. Ingredients are often toxic, as is the solvent, white spirit. Exterior paints contain fungicide, are non-biodegradable and continue to emit fumes, and contribute to sick-building syndrome and can give off toxic fumes and dense smoke in fires.
These petrochemical paints are predominantly derived from oil - a non-renewable resource. Organochlorine solvents which can release toxic emissions into the environment are also used in the manufacture or use of petrochemical paints.
Petrochemical paints contain Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), additives such as solvents, preservatives, drying agents, and odour suppressants, which can have adverse health impacts. These paints have been linked to 'Painters Syndrome' (damage to the brain and central nervous system), skin diseases, lung diseases, and reproductive hazards.
VOCs in buildings are also thought to contribute to 'Sick Building Syndrome' and other illnesses, such as asthma-causing long-term ill health (and loss of productivity) to building occupants. Fungicides are included in petrochemical paints to discourage mould growth and these can remain active in the indoor environment for many years-and some have been linked to Parkinson's Disease. Levels of VOCs are highest when paint is fresh, and petrochemical paints can have immediate health effects on occupants, if applied while rooms are in use. Given time, some VOCs can be 'burned-off' before occupation-though off-gassing may continue over the life of the paint. VOCs will also be absorbed by soft furnishings, carpets, etc. and then re-emitted later into the room.
Waste from petrochemical paints and thinners can have adverse environmental impacts if dumped in landfill or flushed into drains, and needs to be treated by specialist chemical waste processes. go to top

Low odour (petrochemical based) paints
A number of companies have a low odour product range, however, these paints are still made from petrochemical (synthetic) compounds. The odour has been reduced by using less volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in production. These paints still contain a number of constituents that can be harmful to the environment. go to top

Synthetic water-borne
These paints are the products of similar processes as solvent-based paints, except that emulsifiers and water as well as other chemicals are used instead of the oil-based solvents. There is a reduction in the amount of conventional solvent used. They tend to have lower VOC contents (but still some - paints and varnishes should be labelled for VOC content). They emit less vapour during use than solvent-borne paints. go to top

 Plant-based solvent-borne
Organic oil-based paints use solvents, but often they are derived from plant sources rather than petrochemicals, but are not necessarily non-toxic. (eg. Turpentine). Organic paint solvents still contain VOC's and therefore contribute to photochemical smog. go to top

 Plant-based water-borne
These paints involve the least quantity of toxics in production, use and disposal.
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Some natural paints contain solvents, what’s the difference between these and ordinary paints?
All solvents have the potential to affect our health and/or contribute to global warming. Ordinary paints use white spirit, derived from processing crude oil. These solvents contain xylene and toluene, both known carcinogens.

Natural paints use citrus oils, derived from orange and lemon peel, whilst for some people these can sometimes cause skin irritation and headaches, (humans can of course have allergic reactions to natural substances too) they make no contribution to global warming.

Some natural paint manufacturers also use small amounts of aliphatic hydrocarbons, these have a very low odour and are the safest paint solvents available, they are however derived from crude oil. go to top

And are water based paints better for our health and the environment?
Solvents are not the only problem with paints. Ordinary water based paints are generally the result of more complex chemical processes than solvent based paints.
Petrochemical paint manufacturers promote their water based ranges as an alternative to their toxic ranges but these can contain more chemicals, volatile ingredients and biocides than the types they are intended to replace. Several components of water based paints evaporate for a long time after painting and some may affect human physiology, vinyl resins in conventional emulsions can damage lungs, liver and blood, are skin irritants and possible carcinogens.
Swedish nature conservation authorities have warned that a 40 million to one dilution is necessary to render ‘water soluble gloss paint’ harmless before entering the sewage system. go to top