Harmful Effects of Paint
Solvents from common paints are entering the environment and I am sure we would all wish this could be avoided. What they release are chemical substances referred to as Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and these wind up in the the Earth’s atmosphere. This could result to numerous ill effects; for example, it can lead to ozone depletion, it can add to the problem of smog and likewise the big one; it can add towards global warming. This prompts us look for new types of paint to use as we get to know about these risks. During the nineties, when we saw the first eco friendly paints, they didn’t take off.
Environment-Friendly Paints
Because the public are now becoming aware of the environmental problems, will eco friendly paints become more sought after? Those with expertise in painting need to be won over. The paint pros continue on saying paints that don’t have the volatile organic compounds aren’t as good as paints that contain them, even if the manufacturers are stating the opposite. These professionals also maintain that these environmentally safe paints also require numerous coats to get the same finish as regular paints, and that they don’t have long life. Consumers are shifting to environmentally safe paints to avoid health related conditions such as headaches and asthma so the paint producers need to serious consider this.
Latex paint that is water based may be an answer to this concern. They are thought to be environmentally safe and being water based contain no VCOs. The water based nature of latex paint means that painting on iron is a concern because of rusting. Latex paints, despite their issues, are becoming popular.
Paint Contents
In order for us to view a paint as eco friendly, we need to know its contents and how it was made. There are many paints that have Titanium Dioxide which can conceal other paints because it is very white in color. Sulfuric acid is a by-product in the creation of Titanium Dioxide. This acid, together with the chemicals that were dissolved in it, was released into the sea, which of course is not great for the environment.
Smog can be the result of the reaction between the Titanium Dioxide and the sun when used externally. The reality that carcinogens can cause cancer is a serious concern due to a link with Titanium Dioxide. Titanium Dioxide is still found in paints even though all of this evidence.
People are beginning to buy eco friendly paints now that they are finding out more about the health and environmental implications of typical paints.