Everyone loves the look of a fresh coat of paint, but what they don’t love is paint fumes. An unfortunate byproduct of fresh paint, paint fumes can quickly consume a whole room. This causes many people to wonder, how safe are paint fumes? Is breathing them in harmful to your health? Here we address those questions in order to set your mind at ease:
No – paint fumes are not harmful
In general, paint fumes are not harmful to humans. While fumes can irritate your eyes, nose, and throat (similar to allergies), any irritation should go away after stepping outside into some fresh air. Many pregnant women also worry that paint fumes can harm their unborn children, but so far there is no evidence to back this up. Nevertheless, many doctors recommend taking extra precautions by limiting your exposure to fumes while pregnant.
However, high amounts of VOCs can be
VOCs, or volatile organic compounds, are carbon-containing substances that can be found in paints and cleaning products. They’re often released into the air as vapors and/or gases (such as paint fumes). Exposure to high concentrations of VOCs can cause damage to your liver, nervous system, and/or kidneys. However, the majority of paint products are considered low-VOC or zero-VOC. Low-VOC paints have less than 50 grams per liter of VOCs, while zero-VOC has less than 5 grams per liter. This is such a miniscule amount that it would be nearly impossible to suffer any long-term damage.
While paint fumes are not dangerous, they can be a nuisance. That’s why it’s best to leave painting to the pros. At Richard Stewart Painting, we can quickly paint your interior residential or commercial buildings using the safest products on the market. Contact us today to learn more.
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