Temporary health effects from exposure to water-borne paints.

Abstract

SCULLMAN J. Temporary health effects from exposure to water-borne paints. Scand J Work En viron Health 1992;18:376-87. Temporary health effects of exposure to experimental paints were studied . Ten painters feeling nuisance from water-borne paints and eight painter s not feeling such nuisance applied eight experimental water-borne paints according to normal work routines. The effects were a decrease in forced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in I s and peak expiratory flow, an increase in urine excretion, and a decrease in urine density. A small, but statistically highly significant, increase in the mean volume of erythrocytes was observed. The effects were similar in the two groups, but the "nuisance group" reacted with a larger urine excretion and a larger increase in the mean volume of erythrocytes. The effects did not influence physical work capacity. The effects on the lungs and urinary excretion were probably not associated with the organic solvents or ammonia in the paints. Instead, they were probably due to derivatives of isothiazolinone. This assumption needs verification.Key terms: blood pressure, forced vital capacity, isothiazolinones, lung function, mean volume of erythrocytes, organic solvents, peak expiratory flow, preservatives, urination.The work environment of house painters has been debated for a long time, and this trade has had recruitment difficulties. Besides, many house painters leave the trade too early. One reason is the fear of chronic effects on the brain because of exposure to organic solvents (1, 2). The use of water-borne paints should reduce or eliminate exposure to organic solvents, and nowadays, in Sweden, water-borne paints are used for most construction painting.Water-borne paints are mainly emulsion paints based on synthetic polymers, so-called latex paints. They have polyvinyl acetate as a binder or acrylate and copolymers for especially demanding purposes (eg, on joinery products). The latex paints contain water, but there are some volatile organic compounds as well. Small amounts (ie, tenths of a percent) of monomer residues may be present after the polymerization reaction (eg, vinyl acetate and butyl acrylate) (3). The paint manufacturers add organic solvents, usually glycols, glycol ethers, and esters, to promote the film formation process and to improve the application properties. The proportion of solvents has to be higher when the demand for gloss and abrasion resistance is high. The solvent contents are -s2% in wall paints and 7-8010 in paints for joinery products, sometimes even more than 10% (3).Latex emulsions can be a favorable substrate for the growth of microorganisms. Therefore, preservatives have to be added. Paint manufacturers often use mix- 8-9 (3). Some arnines can be added to certain paints or raw materials, partly for pH adjustment and partly to improve the emulsion of oils and alkyds in water.The use of water-borne paints can decrease or eliminate some of the health hazards met when paints with an organic solvent base are used . Yet water-bor...

Occupational exposure to water based paint and symptoms from the skin and eyes.

“…Our finding of a perceived increased frequency of urination while working with water based paints is in accordance with the report of Ulfvarson et al 7 They found an increase in urine excretion and a decrease in urine density among workers who were experimentally exposed to different water based paints. The authors suggested that exposure to benzisothiazolinone was the cause of these effects.…”

Acute Effects of Some Volatile Organic Compounds Emitted From Water-Based Paints

“…Such effects have indeed been reported in painters in a few studies. 5,23,24 Water-based paints contain a complex mixture of chemicals, such as binders, biocides, surfactants, and traces of monomers. Some of these compounds have low volatility or occurs in low concentrations and will not significantly contribute to the paint emissions.…”

“…3 Glycols and glycol ethers are used in water-based paint in concentrations ranging from 1% to 10% or more. 4,5 Glycol ethers are added to promote the film formation process and to improve the application properties. The polar solvents have lower evaporation rates and bind to a higher degree to building materials; thus, in contrast to hydrocarbon solvents, the emission occurs at a low rate but for a long period of time.…”

Asthma and the indoor environment: the significance of emission of formaldehyde and volatile organic compounds from newly painted indoor surfaces

“…Earlier, indoor painting was performed mainly with solventbased paints, which have rapid and high emission of well-known non-polar organic solvents. The waterbased paints now in common use have a complex chemical composition, including biocides, plastic monomer, and polar and high-boiling polar compounds like Texanol and TXIB [9,15,27,28,37,39]. High-boiling-point compounds, e.g., TXIB, may bind to dust and thus give a higher local exposure on mucous membranes [24].…”