Breathing Paint Fumes - What's at Risk and How to Eliminate Paint Fumes From Your Air

Paint is a relatively easy and inexpensive way toimmune system that is in some way
give a room or home a quick makeover. Butcompromised.
what do you risk health wise by inhaling paintThere are paints available now that contain low
fumes and how can you eliminate them?and even no volatile organic chemicals. They are
What you risk depends on the paint that wasmore expensive, but certainly worth the extra
used. Oil paint or any paint that contains volatilemoney for the health advantages they provide.
organic chemicals has elements in it thatBut if you've moved into an apartment or newly
evaporate easily into the air. Examples areconstructed home, you may not have control
solvents, thinners that maintain an evenover the paint that was used, and unless you act,
consistency, and drying agents that help the paintyou and your family may in fact be forced to
dry faster. These are often the ingredients thatjust live in this unhealthy environment.
off gas and can make paint fumes so harmful.A high efficiency particle arresting (abbreviated as
You may first notice a headache, watery orHEPA) air purifier that has a filter that specifically
burning eyes or nose, dry throat, lighttargets and removes these fumes can clear the
headedness, dizziness, or nausea. This is yourair and make the air quality in your home healthy
body's way of saying get me out of here andagain. How does it do this? It is designed to run
away from these paint fumes! Generally these24 hours a day to continuously removing these
symptoms will disappear if you are only exposedpaint fumes from your air as soon as they off
to the fumes for a very short time. But oftengas.
paint will off gas fumes for weeks, forcing youBy opting for a HEPA air purifier you also get the
and all who live in the newly painted space toadded advantage of a cleaner that can remove
continue to inhale these fumes over a long periodother household particulates that may have
of time.resulted from new construction or a home
Young children are particularly vulnerable to thesemakeover. This filter by definition is designed to
fumes because their respiration is comparativelyremove normal household pollutants such as
fast, and their bodies are smaller which meanshousehold dust, dust mites, mold and mildew
their bodies are subjected to much more of thespores, pollen, pet dander, bacteria and viruses all
paint fumes than a healthy adult. Pregnantas small as .3 microns.
mothers also risk harm to the developing fetus,The best of these air cleaners contain 4 filters
and continued exposure can interfere with normalbuilt into one easy-to-change canister, each with a
growth and development. Older adults are alsodifferent purpose making it a powerful yet
more at risk many times because of pre-existingcompact and very efficient solution to removing
conditions such as heart problems, respiratorypaint fumes from your air.
conditions such as asthma or bronchitis, and/or an