Widespread use of toxic indoor paints is a major contributor to the degradation of indoor air quality. Although it doesn’t get as much attention as its outdoor counterpart, the air quality inside your home deserves some consideration.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, in fact, indoor air quality is more polluted as much as three times more so than outdoor air, and should be considered among the top five hazards to human health. That’s a pretty significant statement.
Paints, finishes, thinners, paint removers, and other paint-related substances are arguably the worst offenders. For years after application, your house paints leak low levels of toxins into the air in your home.
Famously, the use of lead in paint once celebrated for its ability to accelerate drying, resist moisture, and enhance paint colour was strictly limited in house paints in the 1970s when its effects on human health and the environment began to be understood. (It should be noted that paint today is still permitted to contain trace amounts of lead.)
But today’s paints also contain something known as VOCs (volatile organic compounds), which are the primary hazard to humans and the planet. VOCs are chemical compounds found in things like paints, thinners, solvents, gasoline, and crude oil. An organic compound is classified as volatile when it has a sufficiently high vapour pressure, allowing it to vaporize and leak into the atmosphere threatening the environment in the case of outdoor paint, and human health indoors.
There are alternatives. Low-VOC and zero-VOC paints are out there and becoming more widespread. Most paint manufacturers now offer VOC-free options.
You can also make your own paint, if you’re up for the challenge. Paint recipes are available from most environmentally-friendly domestic product books and websites, generally calling for ingredients like milk protein, lime, salt, and a wide variety of natural pigments.
The other huge benefits of using non-toxic paints is that their cans don’t qualify as toxic waste, and therefore don’t need to be brought to a special disposal site. They also generally make for easier cleaning soap and water will do the trick.
