Paints and Other Chemicals, Ototoxic?

[Gosia]

So I've been doing a kitchen renovation for 10 days. That included some chemicals for cleaning, good deal of dust and last two days - galons of paint. The windows are open of course, but my paranoid mind started wondering - istn't that stuff ototoxic by any chance ? The paint is acrylic, so normally quite safe for health but it still stinks. Just wondering if you know anything about it..Let alone I'm not sure if there wasn't any azbestos in the walls : /

 

[tinnitussufferer]

its probably toxic in other ways as well as ototoxic. Its too late now anyway. Use non toxic paint next time.

 

[Nucleo]

I wouldn't worry about it. Acrylic paint is water based and relatively harmless provided you don't purposefully breathe it, drink it or shove it into your eyes.

 

[Lane]

TOLUENE

"""Hearing loss is often associated with old age, tinnitus or balance disorders. However, studies show that anyone can be affected by hearing loss, at any age if exposed to a chemical present in many common household products...

...sold in many high-street shops, you'll find the biggest player in the cause of ototoxicity: Toluene. Toluene is a major component of paints, varnishes, petroleum, printing inks, degreasers, adhesives, cigarette smoke, glues, thinners, and plastics. Exposure to Toluene, such as inhalation, ingestion or skin contact, is known to cause not only hearing loss, but commonly can be a factor in causing Tinnitus..."""​

 

[maxweber]

Yes. absolutely. But paint dries so is not an ongoing source.

 

[Contrast]

TOLUENE

"""Hearing loss is often associated with old age, tinnitus or balance disorders. However, studies show that anyone can be affected by hearing loss, at any age if exposed to a chemical present in many common household products...

...sold in many high-street shops, you'll find the biggest player in the cause of ototoxicity: Toluene. Toluene is a major component of paints, varnishes, petroleum, printing inks, degreasers, adhesives, cigarette smoke, glues, thinners, and plastics. Exposure to Toluene, such as inhalation, ingestion or skin contact, is known to cause not only hearing loss, but commonly can be a factor in causing Tinnitus..."""​

It may be extremely good that they have ways to reliably create tinnitus using things like this and aspirins
that way scientist can experiment on animal models with tinnitus bringing us closer to treatment.

 

[maxweber]

Yes. absolutely. But paint dries so is not an ongoing source.

Also, paint is some % benzene (10% for spray paint IIRC). That exits the body largely over a 24 hours period. Its the heavier hydrocarbons (I believe) which sit in the body longer. Months. And also some of the stuff deposits into fat and otherwise circulates if not detoxed (as per the docs and toxicologists we consulted). So, your paint is not probably releasing large amounts of long-term toxic gases into your body. That's not to say your walls cannot be coated with chems. E.g. NO2 and HF are liquid below 67F. some others form solids/salts. HCN is liquid until 89F or so. So, you can emit from the surfaces by rubbing/cleaning or heating the home. Heat and air it out, is one Internet remedy. In fact, one of the deposits from combustion gases deposits as solid and effervesces. I'd have to look up which it was. Good luck.

 

[Lane]

I've read--though I don't whether it's absolutely true or not--that painters (by profession) have the highest incidence of alcoholism than any other. I always favor using "environmental paint", which doesn't contain all these toxic compounds.

I've noticed that when a room is painted with it, that the smell is completely gone by the next day. Whereas with regular paint, I notice the outgassing for weeks afterwards. Seems like this outgassing is not something someone with tinnitus should unnecessarily expose themselves to.

Environmental paint used to cost more than regular paint, but I've heard that's no longer the case. And has just as high a quality as regular paint.