9/12/2005
OWNER/OPERATOR INFORMATION SHEET
HEALTHY AIR
Could your family
be affected?
One company
substituted higher-
solids paints for
conventional solvent-
borne coatings, which
resulted in increased
transfer efficiency and
a 30% decrease in
VOC emissions and
paint wastes. Also, the
company saved
$28,000 in paint
purchases and paint
disposal costs.
— North Carolina Division
of Pollution Prevention
and Environmental
Assistance
The Coatings Guide™
is an online pollution
prevention tool for
paints and coatings.
This guide contains
several tools to identify
low-VOC and/or low
toxic air pollutant
content coatings that
may be suitable
replacements.
— U.S. EPA
Reducing Air Pollution from:
Painting and Coating Operations
Why should my painting and coating
operation 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 safeguards the
health of your employees, customers,
and families by using materials,
processes, or practices that can reduce or
eliminate air pollution at the source.
Pollution prevention practices also
save money on waste disposal, materials
usage, and the cost of air pollution
controls.
You may already be regulated by
federal, state, local, and Tribal agencies
and may already voluntarily implement
pollution prevention practices. However,
increasing pollution prevention efforts
further minimizes the impacts on human
health and the environment.
Why should I be concerned about air
pollution from my painting and
coating operation?
• Painting and coating operations can
produce emissions of toxic air
pollutants.
• Lubricants, degreasers, and cleaners
can release some toxic air pollutants
and volatile organic compounds
(VOC). Chemicals in these
substances can react in the air to form
ground-level ozone (smog), which
has been linked to a number of
respiratory effects.
• While federal, state, local, and Tribal
regulations limit the amount of
emissions from painting and coating
operations, dangerous releases of
toxic air pollutants can occur if a
painting and coating operation is not
in compliance with regulations.
How can I reduce air pollution from
my painting and coating operation?
Substitute Materials
• Use cleaners with low toxic air
pollutants and VOC such as water-
based, alkaline, or microbial cleaners.
These can reduce air pollutant
emissions up to 90%.
• Use paint types such as waterborne
paints, powder coatings, ultraviolet
(UV) light or electron beam-curable
coatings, or higher-solids paints.
Change Processes
• Minimize the need for cleaning
solvents by using waterborne paints.
• Use a coating method that does not
require spraying such as
electrodeposition, dip coating, roller
coating, or flow coating.
Improve Spraying
• Use more efficient paint application
equipment to reduce overspray such
as switching to a high-volume, low-
pressure spray (HVLP), airless spray,
air-assisted airless spray, or
electrostatic spray guns.
• Train painters in proper spray
application techniques. Proper
training, which includes information
on gun position, motion, triggering,
and overlap, can reduce air pollutant
emissions and enhance the quality of
the paint finish.
• Minimizing overspray results in less
labor and product used and fewer air
pollutants generated.
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OWNER/OPERATOR INFORMATION SHEET
Painting and Coating Operations
Lower Emissions at the Source
• Open containers only when adding or dispensing
materials. This minimizes evaporative emissions and
waste.
• Use air-tight containers to store solvents, paints, and
other coatings.
• Use a spray booth to capture and control emissions.
Change Cleaning Procedures
• Use enclosed or mechanical parts and gun washing
systems to reduce evaporative emissions.
• Monitor the amount of cleaning solvent used during
cleanup to avoid excess usage.
• Reuse cleaning solution or solvent. Use dirty solvent
for initial cleaning, then follow with clean solvent.
• Schedule color changes to minimize cleaning needed
between colors. Paint products with light colors and
then follow with increasingly darker colors.
Upgrade Your Operation's Equipment
• Check with your state, local, or Tribal pollution
prevention office for funding possibilities.
Are HVLP spray guns really better? Where can I
find out about training?
HVLP guns are better than conventional atomized air
spray guns if technicians are trained properly. VOC
emissions released during a painting operation are
directly related to the skill of the spray gun operator.
Properly used HVLP spray guns often result in a
higher transfer efficiency, which results in reduced
overspray.
Reduced overspray minimizes costs and worker
exposure to toxic emissions.
Information about training may be found at
• Iowa Waste Reduction Center: www.iwrc.org/
programs/STAR.cJm or call 1-800-422-3109.
• State, local, or Tribal pollution prevention offices.
• Spray equipment suppliers.
• Trade associations for painting and coating
operations.
What else can I do to reduce air pollution?
Your community may already have groups
working for cleaner air. Your expertise and
knowledge can be very helpful to these groups.
Many pollution prevention offices offer free on-
site assessments for interested businesses. A list of
these small business assistance programs can be found
atwww.epa.gov/smallbusiness. This site provides
information about assistance and technical help,
environmental experts, environmental regulations and
laws, funding, and cost-saving opportunities.
Refer your customers to Web sites for the Solvent
Alternatives Guide (www.sage.rti.org) and The
Coatings Guide™ (www.cage.rti.org) where they can
increase their understanding of alternative paints and
coatings. Stay involved with trade associations and
keep up to date with industry developments through
industry-related Web sites.
Sponsor employee awards for good ideas, great
efforts, and dedication to pollution prevention. For
example, you could provide a cash award for workers
who implement a work practice that reduces both
costs and pollution.
EPA 's Sector Strategies Program works within the painting and coating operations sector to assess
opportunities for improving environmental performance while reducing regulatory burden.
— U.S. EPA
HEALTHY AIR: A COMMUNITY AND BUSINESS LEADERS GUIDE
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HEALTHY AIR
Could your family
be affected?
The cost of on-site
distillation units depends
on size.
2-gallon still: $2,100
3.5-gallon still: $3,000
5-gallon still: $4,000
7.5-gallon still: $4,700
15-gallon still: $8,500
These prices do not
include vacuum assist
costs.
— Iowa Waste Reduction
Center
In a conventional spray
painting process, as
much as 70% or more of
the paint may miss its
target surface. Using
more efficient application
methods can substantially
reduce that amount.
— Ohio
Environmental Protection
OWNER/OPERATOR INFORMATION SHEET
Painting and Coating Operations
9/12/2005
Resources
• National Paint and Coatings Association: www.paint.org, (202) 462-6272
• Community-Based Projects: www.epa.gov/air/toxicair/community.html
• EPA's Sector Strategies Partnership Program for the Paint and Coating Sector:
www.epa.gov/sectors/paintcoatings/index.html, (202) 566-2958
• Paints and Coatings Resource Center: www.paintcenter. org
• Iowa Waste and Reduction Center STAR® Training:
www.iwrc.org/programs/STAR.cfm, (800) 422-3109
• Spray painting options:
www.wmrc.uiuc.edu/main_sections/info_services/library_docs/TN/98-048.pdf
• Painting and coating operations: www.epa.state.oh.us/opp/paints/fact23.html
• Good operating practices: www.dep.state.ct.us/wst/p2/industry/optindex.htm
National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants
• Auto and Light-Duty Truck Surface Coating Operations:
www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/auto/autopg. html
• Large Appliance Surface Coating Operations:
www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/lapp/lapplpg.html
• Magnetic Tape Manufacturing: www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/magtape/magtappg.html
• Metal Can Surface Coating Operations: www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/mcan/mcanpg.html
• Metal Coil Surface Coating Operations: www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/mcoil/mcoilpg.html
• Miscellaneous Metal Parts and Products Surface Coating Operations:
www. epa.gov/ttn/atw/misc/miscpg. html
• Paper and Other Web Surface Coating Operations:
www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/powc/powcpg.html
• Surface Coating of Plastic Parts and Products:
www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/plastic/plasticpg.html
• Wood Building Products Surface Coating Operations:
www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/wbldg/wbldgpg. html
Alternatives
• Solvent Alternatives Guide: www.sage.rti.org
• The Coatings Guide™: www.cage.rti.org
• Biochemical solvents:
www.carbhydrateeconomy.org/library/admin/uploadedfiles/Biochemical_Solvents^f
or_Pollution_Prevention. html
Toxicity of Solvents
• Integrated Risk Information Systems (IRIS): www.epa.gov/iris
• Air Toxics Health Effects Notebooks: www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/hapindex.html
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