VOC stands for Volatile Organic Compound. More specifically it's
defined as, "an organic compound that has an initial boiling point
less than or equal to 250 degrees Celsius measured at a standard
pressure of 101.3kpa."
Taubmans is committed to the sustainable reduction of VOCs, and
while the contribution of VOCs in premium quality architectural
paint to poor indoor air quality is very minor, VOC reduction is
seen as a benefit to the community and environment as a whole.
Taubmans has formulated a paint specifically for architects,
specifiers and trade painters called Pure Performance. Pure
Performance has been approved by the Green Building Council and the
National Asthma Council's Sensitive Choice Program. It is
formulated to be low in VOCs and have minimal impact on indoor air
quality. Taubmans is also further reducing the VOC level of
selected water based products and continuing to develop water based
alternatives to traditional solvent based technologies.
A low level of VOCs has been maintained in order to preserve the
products application and serviceability properties. This ensures a
long coating life, meaning fewer repaints and reduced consumption
of non-renewable resources.
Taubmans is also at the forefront of delivering new innovative
products that deliver real benefits in terms of indoor air quality
e.g. developing products that fight the growth of microbes that
produce bacteria, mould, mildew and fungus.
Odour and toxicity
Water based architectural paints are intended to be used by the
public in a domestic setting. The health and safety of these users
is of prime concern to Taubmans and for this reason, VOCs for water
based architectural paints in Australia are selected to minimise
odour and toxicity.
The main VOC used in paint is Propylene glycol and it has no
odour and extremely low toxicity. It's even found in some food,
cosmetics, shampoos and conditioners, and medicinal products.
Indoor Air Quality
The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) defines
Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) as the quality of the air in any
non-industrial indoor space where a person spends a period of an
hour or more in any day. This can include but is not limited to the
office, classroom, shopping centre, hospital and the home. Indoor
air quality is an indication of how well indoor air satisfies
thermal and respiratory requirements, prevents unhealthy
accumulation of pollutants and allows for a sense of well
being.
The VOCs used in water based architectural paint are mild in
odour and are very low in toxicity. With normal ventilation no VOCs
will be present two weeks after painting. In the event of
repainting an occupied building, water based paints have a very
minor and temporary impact on indoor air quality. This means that
after two weeks there is no effect on IAQ for the eventual building
occupants. Taubmans paints can even improve IAQ in unhealthy
buildings by resisting growth of mould and bacteria on painted
surfaces.
Effects on the Environment
VOCs can be linked to production of photochemical smog in the
atmosphere, but not all VOCs produce the same effects. Recent
studies in the United States have focused on the reactivity of
VOCs. Evidence to date shows that VOCs used in water based paints
have a neutral effect, and do not add to smog formation. Some
studies even suggest that propylene glycol and other compounds that
can be mixed in water may not remain in the atmosphere long enough
to participate in such reactions.