Low VOC does not mean 'non-toxic'. It simply means a lower quantity of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that create smog in the environment. It by no means suggests that the product is healthy.

Even complete elimination of VOCs by paint manufacturers doesn't address the issue of why other contaminants — not considered VOCs — still find their way into many paints. This article discusses what some paint companies don't want you to know about their paint.

Some paints, for example, contain ammonia and acetone which are highly dangerous chemicals to human health, yet they're not classified as VOCs and therefore are not required by law to appear on the label. VOCs have been linked to numerous physical problems, including sick building syndrome.

Fungicides and biocides are toxic chemicals used to prevent mildew growth and to extend the shelf life of a product. They may be good for the paint, but they're bad for your health. These chemicals out-gas and contaminate both indoor and outdoor air for five years or more after the product has been applied. You read that right. Beware; even low or no VOC paints may contain toxic chemicals.

Pigments are designed to color the paint, but some of them are made with toxic chemicals. In fact, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) has busted a major paint manufacturer for claiming its paint is non-toxic, when in fact the manufacturer uses colorants full of toxic VOCs.

One popular no VOC paint contains crystalline silica which has been shown to produce cancer in rats and perhaps in humans, yet the paint was awarded the "Green" label. In addition, some paint companies in their quest to reduce VOCs have added chemicals to mask the offensive paint smell! Beware: just because a company claims its paint has fewer VOCs or doesn't smell does not mean its paint is non-toxic.

Below are two videos by Dan Pompa discussing where these chemicals are located and the effects of toxic chemicals on our physiology. The first is about chemical sensitivity, and the second is about common toxins to avoid.

The reduction of VOCs also does not address the deeper human and environmental issues surrounding the life cycle of paint, including its production, use and eventual destruction.

According to William McDonough and Michael Braungart in their landmark book Cradle to Cradle, "...being 'less bad' is no good." They say, "Cutting the amount of toxic waste created or emitted...is a central tenant of eco-efficiency. But reduction in any of these areas does not halt depletion and destruction — it only slows it down, allowing them to take place in smaller increments over a longer period of time. Current studies show that astoundingly small amounts of dangerous emissions can have disastrous effects on biological systems."

This is true for paint emissions during the manufacturing process, as well as during incineration. The creation of dangerous particulates during the destruction of older buildings can release a variety of contaminates into the air, water and soil that may go undetected for years — adding to the depletion of the environment.

McDonough and Braungart say, "Air, water and soil do not safely absorb our wastes unless the wastes themselves are completely healthy and biodegradable. We have just too little knowledge about industrial pollutants and their effects on natural systems for 'slowing down' to be a healthy strategy in the long term."

Consider this: during the normal life cycle of a home or office building which may be a hundred years or so, hundreds or thousands of gallons of primer, paint, sealers, stains and other finishes are spread from floor to ceiling and from wall to wall. A single gallon of low VOC paint contains dozens of chemicals, many of which have not been thoroughly researched for their saftey to human health or their impact on the environment. These include VOC's, fungicides, biocides and pigments.

Let's consider a more creative approach. Instead of asking how to reduce the problem of toxicity in paint, shouldn't we ask how to create a paint that's healthy? Or, is there an alternative to paint that's better for the inhabitants and the environment, both now and in the future? Using the Mcdonough/Braungart eco-effective model of waste equals food, shouldn't our wall and floor finishes be made of a material that is totally non-toxic and biodegradable, not just free of VOCs?

In the past, and even today, there are cultures that finish their floors, walls and ceilings with a variety of natural materials such as organic lime washes, clay plaster, straw/mud combinations, milk paint, natural oils, bees wax and other indigenous resources.

Our primary suppliers of finishes are two notable companies, AFM and BioShield. Both of these companies have been making finishes for more than 30 years. Both maintain the highest standards of human and environmental health, far beyond most governmental requirements. Both started making non-toxic paint because it was the right thing for them to do. Doctors and chemically sensitive people asked them to please make a healthy paint, and so they did. But they reached their goal, both using two methods:

1) synthetic formulas which contain natural pigments, low or no VOCs and no fungicides or biocides, and
2) naturally-derived formulas which use only raw materials including citrus peel extracts, essential oils, seed oils, tree resins, inert mineral fillers, tree and bee waxes, lead-free dryers and natural pigments.

Most of the ingredients have been used for centuries and are renewable, low in toxic substances and feature a low environmental footprint.

Both of these types have been formulated and manufactured with children, the elderly and the chemically sensitive in mind. Many doctors recommend these paints to their patients who suffer from allergies, sick building syndrome or multiple chemical sensitivities. Our customers tell us again and again how wonderful these eco-friendly products are to work with and how much easier it is to breathe during the painting process and after completion. AFM has been awarded a Gold Certification by SCS which does third-party certification for products.

Sometimes we hear from customers who have tried other low VOC paints, yet they still can't tolerate being in the room. This is because they're sensitive to something in the paint that's off-gassing into the atmosphere and creating a negative influence. These same people can almost always tolerate our paint products. Even so, you must test a product first before using it.

Our finishes do not contain toxic ingredients; this means no ethylene glycol, formaldehyde, acetone, crystalline silica or ammonia. For your convenience, we have provided MSDS sheets which are governmental reports about the ingredients of each product. We have also included information about application methods, tips on where to use each product and a toll free number if you don't wish to read all this.

We stock most of the popular finishes. We can mix more than 1,000 colors and can create almost any custom color you wish. An AFM Color Swatch Book is available, as well as Bioshield's Venetian Collection Swatch Book. Sample sizes of certain products may also be available for testing. Feel free to contact us about any large jobs for special pricing.

Copyright © 2004 Joel Hirshberg All rights reserved.