Water-Based Automobile Paints Potentially Reduce the Exposure of Refinish Painters to Toxic Metals

Abstract

Exposure to lead-containing dusts is a global public health concern. This work addresses an important issue of whether eco-friendly water-based paints reduce the exposure potential of auto-repainting workers to metals. With this aim, metal levels in automobile paints and worker metal exposure were measured using both solvent- and water-based paints. The levels of metals, and particularly Pb, Cr (total), Fe, and Cu, in solvent-based paints varied greatly among colors and brands. Lead concentrations ranged from below the detection limit (~0.25 μg/g) to 107,928 μg/g (dry film) across all samples. In water-based paints, the concentrations of Pb and Cr (total) were generally two to three orders of magnitude lower, but the concentrations of Al and Cu exceeded those in some solvent-based paints. The personal short-term exposure of workers who applied water-based paints of popular colors, such as black and white, were generally low, with Pb levels of less than <4 µg/m3 and Cr (total) levels of less than 1 µg/m3. Conversely, mean short-term exposure to Pb during the painting of a yellow cab using solvent-based paints were 2028 µg/m3, which was ~14 times the Taiwan short-term permissible exposure limit, while the mean level of exposure to Cr (total) was 290 µg/m3, which was well below the exposure limit. This study demonstrates that water-based paints reduce the exposure potential to lead, and highlights the importance of source control in limiting the toxic metals in paints.

Heavy metals accumulation in Hertia cheirifolia along the highway in Setif region, Algeria

“…The high Cu level in the Sidi Haider station of up to 150 mg/kg is due to the presence of this auto box; Several studies have proven the relationship between Cu levels and certain polluting sources (paint, brake pads, tires, and car wiring) (Winther and Slento 2010;Hsu et al 2018;Barbosa et al 2020).…”

Overcoming Barriers to Digital Transformation towards Greener Supply Chains in Automotive Paint Shop Operations

“…The emphasis on pollution risk arises from the use of solvent-based coatings. To address this, there is a growing interest in exploring eco-friendly alternatives, like water-based paints, which aim to minimize the emission of harmful chemicals during the automotive painting process, fostering a more sustainable and environmentally conscious approach [15]. The shift towards water-based and powder coating technologies has presented itself as a more environmentally friendly alternative.…”

Using an alternatives assessment framework to evaluate waterborne versus solventborne basecoats used in automotive refinishing

“…Another study demonstrated that the use of appropriate personal protective equipment and good workplace hygiene were associated with reduced risk of symptoms of neurotoxicity in solvent-exposed vehicle spray painters (Keer et al, 2018). A Taiwanese study concluded that waterborne paints reduce the exposure potential to lead and other toxic metals (except copper) (Hsu et al, 2018). Information is available showing health impacts from VOC exposures to workers in other occupations (Hasana et al, 2013).…”