An experimental study to investigate the feasibility to classify paints according to neurotoxicological risks: occupational air requirement (OAR) and indoor use of alkyd paints.

The concept of occupational air requirement (OAR), representing the quantity of air required to dilute the vapor concentration in the work environment resulting from 1 l product to a concentration below the occupational exposure limit (OEL), was considered to have potential to discriminate between paints that can and cannot be used safely. The OAR is a simple algorithm with the concentration of volatile organic compound (VOC) in the paint, a discrete evaporation factor and the neurotoxicological effects-based OEL. Conceptually, OAR categories of paints for construction and maintenance applications could be identified that can be applied manually without exceeding OELs with no appreciable room ventilation. Five painters volunteered in an exposure study aimed at testing the OAR approach in practice. Total exposure to VOC was assessed in 30 experiments during the application of 0.5 l of paint in a defined 'standard indoor paint job'. Fifteen paints were prepared, reflecting differences in solvents (percentage, volatility, toxicity) with a range of OAR levels from 43 to 819 m(3)/l. Exposure was assessed by personal air sampling (PAS). In addition, real-time air monitoring was performed. All tests were conducted at minimum ventilation rate (< or=0.33 h(-1)). PAS results were expressed as percentage of the nominal OEL and ranged from 8 to 93% for high solids and from 38 to 168% for conventional paints. In general, higher VOC contents resulted in higher exposure. High volatile paints showed a statistically significant faster increase of VOC concentration with time compared with paints containing low volatile solvents. A significant relationship between OAR value and exposure was observed (R(2) = 0.73). The experiments indicate that OAR-based classification of paints predicts and discriminates risk levels for exposure to neurotoxic paint-solvents in indoor painting fairly well.