Paint Fume Problems?--3 Tips To Reduce Your Risk From Paint Fumes

Is there anyone who has not painted or had something painted in there home

? Probably not. And perhaps that is the reason the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has listed paint as one of the top 5 hazards to indoor air quality.

These fumes can trigger symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, dry throat, burning and watering eyes,and severe cases nausea and vomiting. These airborne chemicals are particularly hazardous to pregnant women. But because painting is one of the easiest, cheapest, and most effective ways to make-over a room, few of us will avoid coming in contact with paint.

Here are 3 practical ways to avoid prolonged exposure and the acute and long-term health effects paint fumes can cause.

Ventilate Properly--Opening windows and doors to move air through the space will prevent fumes from building up to a toxic level. Be careful that ventilating does not create too much of a draft and cause unwanted particles to stick to and dry on the painted surface.

Place a box fan in the window that pulls air out of the room. Leave this on throughout the painting and overnight to fully exhaust any lingering fumes. Close off the heating and air conditioning ducts when you do this so that you are not heating or cooling the room that is being painted.

Use Paints with Fewer Petrochemicals--Petrochemicals, as the name suggests, are made from petroleum and natural gas. Paints with high levels of petrochemicals contain volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) which with high and prolonged exposure can cause cancer in humans.

Oil-based paints contain approximately 93% parts per gallon of petrochemicals while water-based latex paints contain only 15%. There are now newer low-VOC paints available that have less than 100 parts per gallon of petrochemicals.

Painting with a lower level of toxicity will greatly reduce your exposure to hazard. These paints not only make your paint project look good, but greatly reduce the smell and problematic symptoms associated regular paint.

Remove Paint Fumes with a Carbon-Based Air Purifier--Volatile Organic Chemicals (VOCs) contained in paint such as benzene, formaldehyde, toluene, and xylene are such a potent pollutant to your indoor air quality. These chemicals evaporate into the air quickly and come at you from large expanses such as walls and ceilings. But even after the paint has dried it often continues to emit hazardous chemicals into your air.

Using an air purifier that contains a carbon-based filter that has an additive that is specifically designed to trap volatile organic chemicals is one of the best steps you can take towards protecting you and your family against the ongoing hazards of paint fumes.

by: Debbie Davis

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