What does VOC mean? Very Old Celebrity?
VOC stands for volatile organic compound -- any of several chemical additives found in numerous consumer products, from gasoline and glue to correction fluid and colored markers. Even cosmetics, mothballs, air fresheners and household cleaning supplies contain VOCs.
Because they're volatile, these compounds vaporize and emit gases, even long after they've dried. Paint, for example, emits only half of its VOCs in the first year.
Big deal. Why should I care about VOCs?
VOCs are linked to a range of health problems, including some very serious diseases. Benzene, for example, is one of several VOCs that's known to cause cancer ... not suspected -- known, beyond any doubt. Other health effects besides cancer include kidney damage, liver damage, damage to the central nervous system (including the brain), as well as more minor complaints like headaches and eye, throat and nose irritation.
I can get all that from a can of paint? Come on...
The health effects of VOCs vary from source to source, and from person to person. Professional painters have been found to have a range of serious health problems, especially liver and kidney damage. People with pre-existing conditions, pregnant and nursing women, small children and other sensitive people are at particular risk.
But I'm not a professional painter, just an average homeowner.
Levels of VOCs inside your house can increase up to 1,000 times after doing something like painting or paint stripping. Paint and paint products, in fact, are the second-largest source of VOCs after cars. The VOCs in paint can seriously affect the
indoor air quality of even a well-ventilated home or office, and they're a major cause of "
sick building syndrome."
Now you're starting to scare me. What should I do about VOC-containing paint?
First of all, follow all the manufacturer's recommendations regarding safe paint use. Paint only in well-ventilated areas, for example, and keep paint and paint products away from children and pets. And look for paints that have no- or low-VOCs.
What's up with those expensive, healthy, low-VOC paints?
Lots of manufacturers are now claiming to make eco-friendly paint, but some of these claims are dubious and may be just
greenwashing. For a paint to actually call itself "low-VOC," the
EPA requires that it have no more than 250 grams per liter (g/l) of VOCs for flat and latex paint -- oil-based paints can have up to 380 g/l. (Some places, like California, have even stricter standards.) To call itself VOC-free, paint can have no more than 5 g/l of VOCs.
Is eco-friendly paint worth the extra money?
Many of these paints are very high-quality, do an excellent job of coverage, and aren't too much more expensive than regular, high-VOC paints. Remember, you're probably only buying paint once every few years, so an extra 5 bucks a gallon isn't much to pay for your health and safety.
So these eco-friendly paints are completely safe, right?
Not quite -- even the lowest-VOC paints still have plenty of toxic chemicals in them, like pigments, binders, etc. They just don't volatilize (emit gases) as much. In any case, follow safety recommendations and use common sense. If you're especially concerned -- like people with small children or chemical sensitivities should be -- consider a paint that has the
Green Seal label on it. These paints have no cancer-causing agents, reproductive toxins, or heavy metals. And if you're really ambitious, love Martha Stewart, or just want to be super-green, try making your own paint. People have had good luck with milk-based paints that contain
eggs, flour and natural pigments and dyes from plants.
Alright, I'm convinced, but I'm keeping my milk and eggs in the fridge. Where can I buy these safer, eco-friendly paints?
Fortunately, awareness of VOCs and paint's health risks has grown so much recently that high-quality brands of low- and no-VOC paints are available at retailers everywhere, and at reasonable prices. Some final advice: All paints, even greener paints, still need to be disposed of properly. Take old cans of paint -- along with your old
compact fluorescent lights, old mercury-containing
thermostats, and other hazardous materials -- to your local processing center for disposal. If you're not sure where your local center is, check the info on
Earth911.com.
