VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) in Paint
What are VOCs?
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are emitted as gases from certain solids or liquids. VOCs include a variety of chemicals, some of which may have short- and long-term adverse health effects. Concentrations of many VOCs are consistently higher indoors (up to ten times higher) than outdoors. Volatile organic compounds are compounds that have high vapor pressure and low water solubility. Many VOCs are human-made chemicals that are used and produced in the manufacture of paints, pharmaceuticals, and refrigerants. VOCs typically are industrial solvents, such as trichloroethylene; fuel oxygenates, such as methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE); or by-products produced by chlorination in water treatment, such as chloroform. VOCs are often components of petroleum fuels, hydraulic fluids, paint thinners, and dry cleaning agents. VOCs are common ground-water contaminants. “https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/what-are-volatile-organic-compounds-vocs”
Sources of VOCs
VOCs are emitted by a wide array of products numbering in the thousands. Examples include: paints and lacquers, paint strippers, cleaning supplies, pesticides, building materials and, furnishings, office equipment such as copiers and printers, correction fluids and carbonless copy paper, graphics and craft materials including glues and adhesives, permanent markers, and photographic solutions. “https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/what-are-volatile-organic-compounds-vocs”
How VOC regulations differ across states
The EPA’s VOC reduction goals at the federal level have made strides in reducing air pollution and improving air quality: Since 1990, when the Clean Air Act Amendments were enacted and put forth an ambitious program for reducing air pollution, the national average of the ozone 8-hour concentration has dropped from 0.088 parts per million (ppm) to 0.068 ppm, in line with the most recent national standard. But some states who were already seeing dangerous effects from air pollution took the regulations even further.
The first state to push for more stringent regulations was California, which now has its own Air Resources Board (CARB). For example, the VOC limit on industrial maintenance coatings of 450 grams per liter is lowered to 250 grams per liter in most regions of the state. It is as low as 100 grams per liter in the South Coast region, where L.A. is working hard to reduce its ozone and smog problem.
Other states have followed California’s example and have formed regional air quality groups that work to improve air quality for the region. The groups are CARB, the Lake Michigan Air Directors Consortium (LADCO) and the Ozone Transport Committee (OTC). The following states abide by stricter regulations than those set at the federal level, and project managers working on projects in these states should familiarize themselves with the stricter regulations for their next coatings project.
California (CARB)
Illinois (LADCO)
Indiana (LADCO)
Ohio (LADCO)
Michigan (LADCO)
Minnesota (LADCO)
Wisconsin (LADCO)
Pennsylvania (OTC)
Maryland (OTC)
Delaware (OTC)
New Jersey (OTC)
New York (OTC)
Connecticut (OTC)
Rhode Island (OTC)
Massachusetts (OTC)
New Hampshire (OTC)
Maine (OTC)
District of Columbia (OTC)
How to find VOC Information
To find out how many VOCs are in your paint product, take a look at the SDS (Safety Data Sheet) or TDS (Technical Data Sheet). The number generally accepted for a low–VOC paint is less than 50 grams per liter and for zero-VOC paint is less than 5 grams per liter.
Using the right products
For easy checking, most paint can have this information on the side or back of the label. It looks something like this (VOC/COV < 50g/L – 0.42lb/gal). Most water-based interior products used today are low VOC. These do not pose any serious risks to your health. People that have allergies, asthma, or are sensitive to certain materials, may have some irritation and would benefit from using a zero-VOC product. Zero-VOC products are becoming more popular due to the popular demand, technology to make these products equally as durable as the usual products, and environmental laws and regulations becoming stricter.