What is important to know about paints and varnishes?

Many paints, varnishes, flooring and wallpaper can contain chemicals which can be harmful to your health and the environment. These hazardous substances can be released from paints and varnishes during their use and directly affect the indoor quality in your home.

We are very used to quick-drying, colourful and abrasion-resistant paints. Their properties result from the use of a variety of different chemicals in the paints and varnishes. Some of them could cause damage to human health and the environment when not properly used, stored or disposed of.

The most important group of chemicals of concern in paints are called volatile organic compounds (VOCs). They evaporate into the indoor air – you can smell them while painting – and when they are inhaled may cause health problems. Other possibly hazardous chemicals have functions as biocides, pigments or provide a specific surface like gloss, structure etc.

Hazardous chemicals are used as ingredients in paints and varnishes for the following purposes:

• As resins or binders: components that cause the formation of a film of paint/varnish on the surface that is painted or varnished. The main types of chemicals used as binders are oils, alkyds, and waxes.
• As solvents: components which keep the paint or varnish in liquid form until it is applied. Solvents can be VOCs or water (water-based or solvent-based paints and varnishes).
• As pigments and fillers: components that determine the colour and opacity (covering power) of the product and some other properties.
• As additives: different ingredients which are added in small amounts to provide specific properties; the function could support the convenience of using the paints (prevent moulding, thickness of the paint) or could support specific visual properties, like surface structure, glossyness etc..

To achieve the above functions, different chemicals could be used. Examples of chemicals with hazardous properties used as solvents are white spirit, toluene or ethylbenzene. Chlorinated paraffins, n-hexane, ethyl methyl ketoxime are used as additives and binders.

Various dyes and pigments

Aniline

Very toxic, carcinogenic and mutagenic

Dolls

Surfactant

Nonylphenol (ethoxylates)

Endocrine disruptor, persistent, accumulates in the environment

Textile paper and pulp processing, paints, resins, glue, protective coatings, detergents, animal medicine, pesticides, steel production

Solvents, detergents, medicine, anti-freeze

Organic solvents (Xylene, benzene (turpentine), n-hexane, hydro-treated heavy naphtha, ligroin, naphtha (petroleum), hydrodesulfurized heavy)

Harmful to reproduction, unborn child, causes skin irritation and eczema

Plaster paints, acrylic paints, enamel, wood varnish, glue, resins, detergents, paint and varnish remover, hydrolic liquids

Synthetic material, soft or rigid, applied for many uses

PVC

8-16 substances in PVC can cause different types of damage, such as dipentylphthalate (carcinogenic, toxic, disrupting the reproductive system, CMR, damaging to the unborn child) cadmium, lead and vinylchloride (carcinogenic, on combustion dioxin is released

Piping, textile (t-shirts) gloves, (building) plastics, toys

Slows the combustion process by several minutes

Brominated flame retardants

PBT, some kinds are also classified as CMR, some disrupt the hormone system

Polystyrene, textile (furniture fabrics), stuffing of furniture and mattresses wrappings, insulation materials, plastics

Intended to kill, deter or render harmless organisms (plants and animals) considered harmful

Biocides (diuron, 5-chloro-2-methyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one)

Toxic to living organisms, skin irritation, burns, allergies

Wood and wood products, fungicidal paint etc

Component in formulation of epoxy resins, formerly also used as a fungicide

Bisphenol A

Endocrine disruptor, possible reprotoxic effects, is irritating to eyes, lungs and skin

Plastics, resins, epoxy glues

Anti-skinning, thickening agents in paints

Additives in paints (Cobalt bis (2-ethylhexanoate), ethylmethylketoxime, 2-butanone oxime, zinc phosphate)

Irritant to skin, eyes, respiratory system, possible carcinogen, hazardous to the environment

Paints, primer, especially organic solvent-based

Stabilising agents, enhancing adhesion

Isocyanates

Irritating to eyes and respiratory tract

Used in production of rubbers and adhesives