Toxicity of paints

Toxicity of paints

• 1.
  05/06/2015 References available uponrequest TOXICITY OF PAINTS “Take a minute, look around you, paints are everywhere! “ Paints, known also as coatings, are used in many operations. Each application area has different type of coating depending on the substrate to which the paint is applied, the desired appearance and many other factors. For example, the coating used for painting a car is different from the one used for indoor painting. A statistic made in UK showed that among the 550 million liters of paints produced, 60% are used in the construction industry. Coatings generally consist of four basic ingredients: 1- The binder which serves as glue to hold the paint together and consists of organic materials (with few exceptions); it is made from natural resins. 2- Pigments not only give the paint its color and finish, but also serve to protect the surface underneath from corrosion and weathering as well as helping to hold the paint together. There are two types of pigments: organic and inorganic. Organic pigments tend to be brighter and more stable; however, inorganic pigments are heat and light stable. 3- The solvent which is used to dissolve the binder and to modify the viscosity of paint for easier application. 4- The additives which are chemicals that are added to coatings in small amount and affect greatly the properties of coatings. They can be used as driers, plasticizers, ultra-violet light absorber, anti-settling agents, etc… Humans and other living species are highly exposed to coated elements. Paints contain chemicals which can be harmful to human health; when the paint dries, these chemicals evaporate into the atmosphere and the toxic fume can be inhaled. According to the World Health Organization, professional painters have a 20% increased risk of a range of cancers, particularly lung cancer. The toxicity of paint is measured by amount of volatile organic compounds (VOC) emitted at the application and drying phases. There are increasing concerns about the impact of VOCs on the health and safety of human beings. The coating industry is moving today towards the use of water-based coatings since they emit low VOC’s quantity compared to oil-based coatings. The reaction between VOCs and other pollutants present in the atmosphere produces what is called photochemical smog which causes damage in crops and trees since it causes chlorophyll deficiency and affects individuals which have respiratory diseases like asthma. The solvents used in the mixing, removal and application of paints are the main sources of VOC’s. According to Gustaffson (1991) paints continue to emit VOC’s after drying. Other researchers detected emission of VOCs for more than 6 months after painting walls. Coatings are composed of several complicated chemicals which can be hazardous on human health: € Hexavalent chromium (chromate) used in pretreatment of aluminum is a toxic metal. € Amine and amide curing agents for epoxy resins have a significant toxicity problem. Some chemicals are no longer used because of their toxic aspect: € Phenyl mercury and tributyl tin compounds have been used as mildewcides € White lead known as basic lead carbonate was used as white pigment. Nowadays titanium dioxide (TO2) is used instead.
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  05/06/2015 References available uponrequest According to Mr. Chaker Saab, Chairman of Tinol Paints, VOC limits in paints, Coatings and primers as per Green Seal Standard GS-11 are 50 g/L for flat paints and 150 g/L for non-flat paints. The VOC emission is not the only consideration when dealing with the toxicity induced by paints, 26 materials were banned by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) standard including lead, Mercury, Asbestos, Arsenic and Cadmium. There is no universal agreement on the allowable concentration of VOC’s; Tinol’s products comply with the following regulations: € USGBC Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design LEED v.3 (LEED 2009) ; today Tinol’s products are being improved in order to comply with LEED v.4 which has more strict regulations than LEED v.3 € Green Seal GS-11 € South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) € US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) € Master Painters Institute Green Performance Standard (MPI GPS) At the shops, Low VOC paints or Green Paints are labeled to make sure to cause less harm to the environment and to human beings. According to Mr. Saab, 85% of Tinol’s paints used for indoor coating are water based (emulsion) and have the same performance as oil-based (Alkyd) ones. Low VOC paint is only 2% to 4% more expensive than an ordinary paint. Mr. Saab added that current lab tests are performed in order to estimate the duration of VOC emission after the application of the paints. In order to guarantee the safety of human beings: € Choose a low VOC paint € Use an adequate ventilation for indoor applications (the use of a fan is helpful) € Put the needed amount of solvent € Use the right application tools in order to limit the waste of paints The world is moving towards limiting VOCs emission. In order to reduce the effects of paints on human health it is recommended to use water based coatings which emit the lowest quantity of volatiles, to adapt adequate ventilation while applying the coating and during drying periods, and to follow safety instructions specified by the manufacturer for each particular type of coating. Sally Alam Civil Engineer Tinol Paints International is one of the leading lebanese manufacturers in the Lebanese paints industry. Tinol’s products are certified to meet the provision of safety and security of the environment and the human. Continuous research is conducted under the supervision of a highly professional team of expertise to improve the performance of the paints and to meet with the latest specifications of international regulations.