9/12/05
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HEALTHY AIR
A COMMUNITY AND BUSINESS LEADERS GUIDE
COMMUNITY INFORMATION SHEET
Could your family
be affected?
Finding alternatives to
chemical paint strippers
can result in an
improved working
environment, health, and
safety for workers,
reduced regulatory
compliance burden,
savings on materials and
disposal cost, and
marketing advantages
as an "environmentally
friendly" business.
— Minnesota Technical
Assistance Program
95 percent of all paint
stripper used by the
consumer is for stripping
furniture.
— Source Reduction
Research
Partnership
Reducing Air Pollution from:
Paint and Coating Stripping Operations
Why do paint and coating stripping
operations need to reduce air
pollution?
People who are exposed to air toxics
at sufficient concentrations, for sufficient
durations, may increase their chances of
getting cancer or experiencing other
serious health effects, such as
reproductive problems, birth defects, and
aggravated asthma.
Pollution prevention can reduce the
impact of air pollution by using
materials, processes, or practices that can
reduce or eliminate air pollution at the
source.
Paint and coating stripping operations
strip paints and coatings from surfaces of
metal and wood furniture and parts.
Paint and coating removal may be
needed either as part of the
manufacturing process or to allow for
maintenance or repair operations.
The best paint and coating removal
operations implement pollution
prevention strategies not only to help
comply with federal, state, local, and
Tribal laws, but also to go beyond
compliance and further minimize
impacts on human health, the
environment and costs. Check with your
state, local, and Tribal agencies for
existing regulations.
What kinds of air pollutants may
come from paint and coating stripping
operations?
• Solvents in chemical paint strippers
can release volatile organic
compounds (VOC) and some toxic
air pollutants. Chemicals in these
substances can also react in the air to
form ground-level ozone (smog),
which has been linked to a number of
respiratory effects.
• Methylene chloride is found in many
chemical paint strippers. While
federal, state, local, and Tribal
regulations limit the amount of
emissions from paint and coating
stripping operations, dangerous
releases of methylene chloride can occur
if a paint and coating stripping operation
is not in compliance with regulations.
• Lead, chromium and cadmium are metals
that may be generated as particle
pollution (dust) during abrasive paint
removal or mechanical paint stripping.
Breathing dust can cause respiratory
problems and other harmful health
effects.
How can paint and coating stripping
operations reduce air pollution?
Making changes in operation work
practices can stop pollutants at the source and
increase production efficiency. By evaluating
and improving work practices, operations can
decrease emissions, reduce production costs,
and protect employee and public health.
Examples of changes in work practices that
help reduce air pollution include:
Evaluating Painting and Coating
Processes
• Investigate how painting or coating
processes can be improved, so surfaces
will not need to be stripped and repainted.
Using Alternatives to Chemical Stripping
• Consider using abrasives, with proper
particle pollution controls, to remove
paint.
• Investigate thermal or cryogenic stripping
techniques.
• Use paint strippers that do not contain
chemicals that produce toxic air
pollutants.
Controlling Dust from Abrasive
Technologies
• Protect worker health and safety by using
respirators as needed.
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COMMUNITY INFORMATION SHEET
Paint and Coating Stripping Operations
9/12/05
As a community, what can you do to help reduce air
pollution from paint and coating stripping
operations?
Make Connections
• Get to know local paint and coating stripping
operation owners and operators. They know best
about the materials and processes used in their
business and the regulations with which they must
comply.
• Keep local media aware of progress by sending them
updates. Publicity can reward success and attract
more public involvement.
Make a Plan
• One idea is to form a work group that includes both
community leaders and paint and coating stripping
operation owners and operators to develop and
implement workable pollution reduction plans.
See Owner/Operator Information Sheet for more
reduction measures.
Sponsor Training and Translation
• New skills or new technology that reduces
hazardous material usage and generation and
results in reduced exposure for workers.
• Small operations may need funding in order to
attend or provide training.
Reward Shops
• Use media connections to provide coverage for
successful efforts. Positive publicity can mean
increased business.
• Present pollution prevention certificates to shops
that reduce pollution.
Be an Informed Consumer
• Patronize operations that implement pollution
prevention strategies.
• Find out how items will be stripped before
refinishing.
Locate Resources
• Use the "For Further Information" list below to find
governmental and nonprofit contacts who can
provide help with analysis, technical information,
equipment, and funding.
For Further Information
National Paint and Coatings Association: www.paint.org, (202) 462-6272
Community-Based Projects: www.epa.gov/air/toxicair/community.html
Community information, regional, state contacts: www.epa.gov/epahome/whereyoulive
Pollution prevention awards: State, local, and Tribal government agencies, universities
EPA Sector Strategies Program for the Paint and Coating Sector: www.epa.gov/sectors/paintcoatings/index.html
EPA's Guide to Cleaner Technologies: Organic Coating Removal: www.p2pays.org/ref/02/01048.pdf
Paints and Coatings Resource Center: www.paintcenter.org
Solvent Alternatives Guide: www.sage.rti.org
Training opportunities: Paint and coating stripping technology vendors
Source Reduction Research Partnership's Source Reduction and Recycling of Halogenated Solvents in Paint
Stripping: www.p2pays. org/ref/01/00666.pdf
Toxicity of paints and solvents: Paint suppliers, Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) (vww.epa.gov/iris), Air
Toxics Health Effects Notebooks (www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/hapindex.html)
For more information, please see the Resources section of the Owner/Operator Information Sheet.
HEALTHY AIR: A COMMUNITY AND BUSINESS LEADERS GUIDE
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