Effect of paints on the environment and health

The legislation on chemical substances also applies to commercial paints whose components that are most harmful to health or the environment are prohibited. Lead falls in this category as it is responsible for lead poisoning and has been banned since 1976. It has been replaced by titanium that gives brightness and intensity to the paints.

Specific regulation governs the marketing of paints based on their impact on the environment. This mainly pertains to limiting the content of volatile organic compounds in paints which, when released into the air, form ground-level ozone or fine particles (called secondary).

Thus, the content of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in decorative paints and some car body shop products is limited by Directive 2004/42/EC.

VOCs used in paints, coatings and protective coatings are precisely defined by Article 2 of this Directive, which states that: "any organic compound whose initial boiling point, measured at a standard pressure of 101.3 kPa, is less than or equal to 250 °C"

This definition excludes a number of "solvents" such as Texanol® (Propanoic acid, 2-methyl-, monoester with 2,2,4-trimethyl-1,3-pentanediol). This solvent is the main coalescing agent (stabilisation of paint on drying) used in paints. This exclusion is justified by the fact that Texanol has little effect on the formation of ground-level ozone.

Tips for users

• Please observe the safety instructions.
• After applying paint, ventilate by opening windows during application and for at least forty-eight hours after.
• Occupy the premises only a few days after the paint job.

Good to know

Wondering how to choose paint that cares for the environment? 

Wondering whether there are solvent-free paints? 

Wondering what are natural paints?

• In order to select a paint that cares for the environment

Preferably opt for products with the European Ecolabel since these paints have to meet particularly strict criteria. 

• The solvent-free paints

Yes, powder paints have no solvent. The binder is often a product that changes into a polymer, the paint then forms a plastic coat; this transformation can especially occur under heat (firing in a kiln) or ultraviolet action.

But beware of marketing! Products whose main solvent is water are commonly known as "solvent-free" products: acrylic, vinyl, lime plasters, natural paints, etc.

However, paints containing no chemical solvents may contain additives such as glycol ethers, terpenes (natural substances) that can also harm the environment and humans. It is therefore necessary to protect ourselves as much as possible when handling these products and not throw them in drainage systems (sinks, toilets, etc.) or in nature.

• Natural paints

Some paints are called natural when they comply with exact specifications that vary from one certifier to another. These names are protected by business practice rules. However, the criteria for defining a natural paint are not recognized by the authorities. 

In general, natural paint products have in common the following properties:

• be produced using minerals and cultivated components,
• contain less than X% of synthetic products (obtained by industrial chemical transformation).

For example the production of lime, extraction of clay from natural quarries, cultivation of palm oil in protected area, are harmful to the environment.

As a consumer, do not just rely on the word "natural" glued on a label.

In general, natural products comply with strict specifications, the criteria of which must be transparent and published on the internet. Find out!