Why limit VOCs?
For the air you breath. The EPA has limited VOCs because they contribute to smog and deplete the ozone. Emissions from architectural paints and coatings exceed 11 billion pounds each year! In California the Air Resources Board claims that over half the VOC emissions come from paints and coatings contributing significantly to LA smog. They have set the strictest legal limits for VOCs in the country for paints, which eliminates most oil-based paints from use in the state. On the human scale, exposure to VOC’s in paint can trigger asthma attacks, eye irritation and respiratory problems, nausea, dizziness and countless other symptoms. Prolonged exposure has been linked to multiple chemical sensitivity, kidney and liver disease and cancer.
