Beware Dangers in Paints, Seven Gen Student Says

Special to Emmaus Patch by Jackson Baker

Picture someone painting and their baby sitting next to the paint. Then picture the baby breathing in all of those toxic Vital Organic Compounds (VOCs)  from the paint. Then picture that baby in the hospital for kidney and liver damage from that paint. Do you want your child in that situation?  I think that more companies should make more low VOC paint.

The VOCs in paint release toxic fumes that can cause sickness such as kidney or liver damage after long exposure. Your immune system and your child’s immune system are no match for the toxic fumes in paint.

There are concerns about oil based paint too. If it isn’t disposed of properly it could get into our waterways by soaking into the ground or running into storm water drains. This contaminates the water which can kill many kinds of wildlife as well as homes and nests of animals. Not only does this hurt the animals but it also hurts us because we end up drinking it.

You don’t have to use paint. There are other options like dye or milk paint. You can also find low VOCs paint. Good companies for that are F&B, General Finishes, Salem Red Quart, and Absolute Vintage. Here are some recipes for organic paints that don’t contain VOCs:

                           China clay, lime putty, and linseed oil

                                    Another recipe is:

Mix whitewash then dissolve 15 pounds of salt or 5 pounds of dry calcium chloride in 5 gallons of water. In another container soak 50 pounds of hydrated lime in 6 gallons of water. Then combine the mixtures, stir and thin them with water until it’s the consistency of whole milk. Yields 10 gallons and proportions can be smaller.                                   

Remember VOCs from paint can hurt not only animals and their homes but it can hurt us if we don’t dispose of paint properly because it will end up in our waterways, which means we will drink it. Some simple ways to stop this is to buy low VOCs paint or look up ways to dispose of it properly.

Jackson Baker, of Alburtis, is a currently a 4th grade student at Seven Generations Charter School in Emmaus. Baker's class has been studying household hazardous waste and the students wrote opinion articles on the topic.