b'Sen s itive sensitivity featurebelow: Southern Cross Healthcares Auckland CBD offices have been designed to encourage healthperception of what constitutes low versus high has evolvedvery low VOC. But, as always, we recommend getting in touchdisease among children, and given that it cant be cured, asthma and wellbeing as well as a live what you are selling mentality. Soothing Resene paint colours in low VOCResene dramatically since the awareness of VOCs became mainstream,with your local Resene representative to discuss which productsaffects all ages and demographics.formulas, plenty of light, natural forms and materials plus extensive planting create a biophilic environmentBlack Haze it helps to quantify them. Most waterborne paints now have VOCwill be the right fit for your project requirements. Becauseitssocommon,manypeopleunderstandwhat thats soothing and sensitive for its users. Main walls, ceiling and trims in Resene Zylone Sheen tinted tolevels of 100g or less per litre. Traditional solventborne paintsan asthmatic reaction is: a closing of the airways that can be Resene Black Haze with meeting booth walls in Resene Zylone Sheen tinted to Resene Destiny. Design by Stack Interiors, www.stack.co.nz, build by Cape Interiors, www.cape.net.nz, painting by Spectrumhave considerably higher levels of VOCs than their waterborneBreathing freely triggered by many different substances or circumstances. Most Painters, www.spectrumpainters.co.nz, lighting and electrical design by CGI Electrical, www.cgie.co.nz,counterparts, often 400g per litre or higher. For example, 7Now that you have a better idea of the quantities of VOCs thatpeople are also familiar with the way allergies work, too: someone workstations and soft furnishings by Smartspace Workspace Solutions, www.smartspace.co.nz, otherlitres of Resene Waterborne Woodsman has around the samehas a reaction to their surroundings that can range from mild your project may be emitting, the next step is to understand how selections furniture by Harrows Commercial Furniture, www.harrows.co.nz, cabinets/joinery by Image Interiors,Resene VOCs as just 1 litre of solventborne Resene Woodsman. In earlythey may affect its users. The ability of organic chemicals to causeseasonal allergies to trees and grasses to severe anaphylaxis to www.imageinteriors.nz, images by Rebecca Swan, www.rebeccaswan.com. Destiny But there are many other household sources of VOCs beyondhealth effects varies greatly, from those that are known to bepeanuts. Others may even experience or know someone who has paints,stainsanddecorativecoatings.Hairsprays,deodoranthighly toxic to others with no known health effect. As with othernegative, physical reactions to such things as cigarette smoke, sprays and many cleaning products also release VOCs.pollutants, the extent and nature of a health effect will depend ondiesel fumes, solvents, bleach, strong perfumes or standing in 2007, Hong Kong enacted a regulation for hairsprays that no moremany factors including the level of exposure and length of timethe laundry aisle too long. The term Environmental Illness is Conscientious choices that arethan 80% of their content by weight could be VOCs. This meansexposed. Among the immediate symptoms that some experiencegenerally used to describe these mild to severe health responses easy on the senses and the planet. that a 500gm can of hairspray could potentially contain 400g ofafter exposure to some VOCs include eye and respiratory tracttotheenvironment.Thiscouldevenbefromfood,plants, VOCs. Most hairspray users go through a can every one to twoirritation,headaches,dizziness,visualdisordersandmemoryanimals, smoke, smog, chemicals or even electromagnetic fields. Although many living with asthma and allergies may also react months, which would equate to up to 4800gm of VOCs emitted I ntheinauguralissueofBlackWhitemagazine,wetookanin-depthlookatper year. This is the same level of VOC emissions as you would getimpairment. But a key factor that cant be ignored comes downthese same triggers, environmental illnesses like these do not fall to the health of those individuals who are coming into contact Universal Design and brought attention to some of the most common detailsfrom using 87 litres of paint of a low VOC waterborne enamel,with these substances in the first placeespecially those who are that are overlooked when undertaking new builds and retrofits. Many of thesuch as Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen, which would be sufficientsusceptible to respiratory and environmental illnesses. did you know?circumstances we covered dealt with the physical ways in which people interact withto apply one coat to an area of around 1000 square metres. According to the World Health Organization, asthma affected spaces and how that can change during the lifespan of a structure due to aging andOnce a paint has fully cured, it doesnt release any further VOCs,an estimated 262 million people in 2019. Many different factors injury. However, products and colour specifications can also impact users that mayso 1L of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen will emit a total of just 55ghavebeenlinkedtoanincreasedriskofdevelopingasthma,Resene removed lead from its decorative paints in the late be faced with less perceptible difficulties that are frequently dismissed due to a lackof VOCs while it cures then no more for its entire life. To put thisalthough it is often difficult to find a single, direct cause. But1960s, well ahead of other manufacturers and long before it of understanding or visibility. into context, consider some other sources of VOCs. Its estimatedone thing that sets it apart is that it is the most common chronicwas banned by New Zealand legislation in 1979.It can be easy to forget the extent of our privileges and that not everyone sharesthat the average dairy cow emits 8.75kg of VOCs a year (or 23g the same experience of the world that we do. Though it may not be feasible to takeper day). That means that in just two days, a single cow releases every sensitivity into consideration in every project, the more knowledge you have,nearly the same quantity of VOCs that 1L of Resene SpaceCote the better your ability to make more conscientious product and colour selections.Low Sheen releases in 3,652 days. By comparison to our earlier Your awareness may even put you on the lookout for opportunities to incorporateexample, someone using one can of hairspray per month will emit these considerations even when they arent part of the brief. up to 48kg (or 48,000g) of VOCs in the same time period.VOCs 101did youResene has always believed that one of the best contributors to sustainability is to produce products that offer longevity and best Relatively undiscussed until the turn of the millennium, Volatile Organic Compoundsknow? protection and thus reduce the need for substrate repainting and (VOCs) have since become a hot topicparticularly in the coatings industry. In the caseResene has a full rangereplacement. So while reducing toxicity is the way of life at Resene, of paint, the term refers to solvents that are released into the air as the coating curesof Resene Decorativequality remains paramount. As a specifier, if you are choosing over time. While your clients or customers may have a general awareness that VOCsColourants with noResene products because you share in this belief that using quality exist and that theyre something to avoid as much as possible, chances are that theyadded VOCs, so youmaterials in the first place is among the most important ways to will be looking to your expertise as either the person specifying the paints and finishescan choose whateverprotect our environment, then youre already making a meaningful or the one applying them to answer their finer questions. For some, these concernscolour you wantconscientious choice in the course of your work. will be with respect to indoor air quality and the effect of VOCs on building occupants.without adding anyIf you want to consciously specify products that will further Others will have queries about the impact of VOCs on the greater environment andadditional VOCs. limit the VOCs that your project emits, Resene has you covered outdoor air quality. So, weve endeavoured to give a brief overview on both. with a wide range of Environmental Choice approved products One of the most frequent questions that youll encounter is whether or not aResene to choose from. Resene Zylone Sheen Zero has no added VOCs particular product or formula is low VOC. But given that the subjective scale andZumthor while Resene Ceiling Paint and Resene Broadwall sealer are both 62 blackwhitemag.com blackwhitemag.com 63'