America’s homes and garages are full of toxic and hazardous products. Paints, lacquers, paint thinners, pesticides, lye, acids, and solvents are examples of the products that can be hazardous to your family and simultaneously pollute our environment when they are tossed aside. Many of these chemical contaminants are not even needed. I'd like to share with you safer products and alternatives.
Paint is big business. Manufacturers distribute over one billion gallons of paint annually. While most homeowners have one or more cans of paint in their garage, few of them realize the potential health hazards and environmental toxicity if it is not used, stored and disposed of properly.
Water based paints are considered the safest to use. Paints manufactured before 1990 could however, contain mercury, which even at low levels of exposure, can cause neurological damage without giving you noticeable symptoms. There's also a small percentage of alcohol solvents and glycol ethers found in most water based paints.
Although the EPA banned the use of lead in oil-based paint in 1981, oil-based paints still have toxic emissions, which you could easily inhale, ingest or absorb through your skin and into your bloodstream. Some of the chemicals are known carcinogens, others cause nervous system depression, and the majority have not been tested long enough for their long-term health effects.
Definition of PAINT
Paints are made up of resins (film formers), diluents (solvents), pigments (color), and additives. The paint products category also includes coatings such as varnish, shellac, polyurethane, and stains. Paints are generally classified on the basis of the solvent. The two main categories are oil-based and wate- based (latex) paints. Depending on the type of paint you select for painting, you may need additional paint-related products, such as thinners and brush cleaners may also be needed. Latex and other water-based paint products are the safest to use. They don't require any organic solvents, they dry quickly, and flow evenly.
Definition of SOLVENTS
Solvents are liquids that dissolve other substances and act as carriers for pigments. The useful benfits of solvents in paint products is their ability to dry quickly, their ease of application, even flow and their ability to dissolve paint and grease. Oil-based paint solvents pose several immediate and long-term health and environmental concerns.
Even though the "volatile organic compound" (VOC) levels in paints products sold in the United States have been reduced to help control pollution, concentrations levels may still be high enough to pose potential health threats. All organic solvents are toxic in different degrees. It is due to the useful properties of organic solvents that magnify their hazard. Because they are volatile, there is chance of inhalation, or the gases or vapors can dissolve many things, they can also be absorbed through your skin. They may cause you a minor problem such as a skin rash or, if you swallow them, they may be fatal.
Be sure to read the warning label!
In order for you to reduce the risk to your health, select the least toxic product available for the job.
Least Toxic: Water based (latex). Check that mercury is not included as an additive to prevent mildew.
Moderately Toxic: Many of these ingredients are found in spray paints, paint removers and lacquers. All are highly flammable. methyl alcohol acetone isopropyl alcohol ethyl alcohol ethyl acetate methyl ethyl ketone.
Most Toxic: The following are known as aromatic or chlorinated hydrocarbons. They can be absorbed through the skin and therefore enter the bloodstream more easily than through inhalation only.
Learn to recognize the warning signs of exposure to organic solvents so that you don’t become a victim of poisoning. Strong effects that might occur during or immediately after you've been exposed to the chemical might include: irritability, nervousness, depression, irregular heartbeat, weakness, skin redness, watery eyes, nausea, headaches, or itching. Residual or long-term effects from frequent or prolonged exposure to organic solvents have not been thoroughly researched. Increased risk from exposure may cause permanent damage to liver, kidneys, bone marrow, and central nervous system.
