The water-based paints that have become extremely popular in recent years for painting houses (and beyond) are advertised as more “green”, odorless and with little to no volatile organic compounds (VOCs). However, a new study that analyzed 40 different such popular paints from Europe, North America and Asia found that several of them contain substances considered to be VOCs as well as other chemicals of concern.
Wall paints consist of four ingredients: pigments, adhesives, additives and a liquid. If the liquid is water, then the paint is categorized as water soluble and is separated from solvent paints.
The disadvantages of solvent paints
The solvent-based paints that were widely used for many years were easy to apply and very stable, but released many VOCs into the air during and after application. The result was that the rooms where the specific paints were applied smelled very bad for days. VOCs can cause respiratory problems and headaches, among other potential health problems, especially when they are in high concentrations and people are exposed to them for long periods of time.
The new study that “puts in the dock” water-soluble dyes
This is how water-soluble paints appeared, which often advertise that they contain no VOCs at all or contain VOCs in low concentrations. The new study however conducted by researchers from different universities in China as well as the Univ
Texas in Austin and which was published in the scientific journal “Environmental Science & Technology Letters” of the American Chemical Society (ACS), showed that water-soluble wall paints are not as “innocent” as they are presented.
Analysis based on the WHO definition
According to the research team led by Ying Shu, an associate professor in the Department of Building Science at Tsinghua University in Beijing, there are different definitions of what substances are considered VOCs, some of which are stricter than others. This particular study was based on the World Health Organization (WHO) definition.
Tested on 40 paints from popular brands
The researchers collected 40 water-soluble wall paints from – all of the paints belonged to the 70 best-selling brands of the kind worldwide, and many of them were labeled as having zero or very low VOCs.
The alarming findings
Both dry and wet samples were analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry to determine their composition.
Based on the findings:
- Twenty semi-volatile organic compounds were detected at concentrations ranging from 10 to 35,000 parts per million. Although these compounds were less likely to be in gaseous form, they can remain indoors for years, often embedded in dust.
- Phthalates, chemicals that act as endocrine disruptors, were not detected in the samples. However, chemicals have been identified that are substitutes for phthalates – their toxicity is still being evaluated.
- Almost half of the samples analyzed contained measurable levels of isothiazolinones – preservatives that have been linked to skin irritations and asthma symptoms.
- In 24 of the liquid paint samples advertised as no-VOC or low-VOC paints, 11 different VOCs were detected at concentrations up to 20,000 parts per million.
Further studies of… air are needed
The concentrations detected were related to the chemical composition of the paint, not the presence of the chemicals in the air. Further studies are now needed, according to the researchers, to see how much of these potentially dangerous chemicals are released into indoor air when painted surfaces dry. In any case, the authors of the study emphasize that this research work paves the way for designing safer wall paints in the future.
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