ATLANTA HEAL NEWSLETTER

June 2008

Published by the Atlanta Chapter of the Human Ecology Action League (HEAL), Inc.
P.O. Box 28116, Atlanta, GA 30358-0116. www.atlantaheal.org

SUMMER SCHEDULE

Our June 21 picnic will be at 1 pm at the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area off Georgia 400 at Northridge. Ian Greenberg will have his cell phone on for last minute questions. 404-808-9698. Directions: Go north on 400 and take Northridge exit. Turn right at the end of the ramp, cross 400, and take an immediate right. Go about half a mile and turn right on Roberts Drive. Go about half a mile and turn right into the park entrance. The Visitor Center is at the end of the park drive. We will meet in the picnic area behind the Visitor Center. Bring $3 for parking. There are no activities planned for July or August.

PAINT

Carbon tetrachloride, benzene, formaldehyde, tolulene, xylene, propylene glycol, hexanol, and ethylene glycol are just a few of the 15,000 chemicals that can be used in paint manufacturing. Many of these chemicals are made with petroleum based volatile organic compounds (VOCs), a class of chemicals that readily evaporate at room temperature. Water based paint contains 5 to 10% VOC content and oil based paint has up to 50 or 60% VOC content. Many paints labeled low VOC simply meet the EPA's minimum requirements and can still contain up to 250 grams per liter (2.11 lb per gal) in latex and 380 grams per liter (3.22 lb per gal) in oil based paint. Paint can also contain fungicides to prevent mildew growth and biocides which extend the shelf life of the paint. Other toxic chemicals come from substances used to color the paints. In general, paint toxicity is ranked not by how it contributes to indoor air pollution, but how it contributes to smog formation. More than two thirds of the 176 million pounds of VOC emissions generated in California come from paints, according to statistics from the California Air Resources board. When buying paint, look for a product that meets three requirements: very low or no VOCs, low fungicide and biocides, and natural pigments. -

Real Money, National Wildlife

BUSINESS

[] You can look forward to Ian Greenberg's Summer Edition newsletter in July.

SUMMER BIRTHDAYS

[] June Birthdays: Sunnye Martin 8th, Barry Waldman 8th, Eleanor Davis 11th, CJ Lowe 11th, Barbara Schwartz (no date). [] July birthdays: Barbara Waldman 3rd, Lisa Lundy 7th, Rachael Stevens 27th. [] August Birthdays: Hilda Tatom 10th, Jerry Hetzler 12th, Kathy Hinson 24th, Jane Hensley 28th.

SHARING

Jim Boswell brought some brochures on The Freshaire Choice, a paint with no VOCs in the paint or the coloring system. It is the first tinted paint to be fully certified by Greenguard Environmental Institute, an industry independent, non profit organization that oversees the Greenguard Certification program. It contains no fungicides (these are found mainly in exterior paint) but does contain .25% biocide as a preservative. What kind? The company says the information is proprietary. To see a demonstration of the paint go to www.azfamily.com/housegarden/crafts/stories/phoenix_craft_corner_031408_paint.54b7e40e.html.

Thank you to Ian Greenberg for proofreading this newsletter.

As always, our aim is to educate, not medicate.

SOME OF OUR MEMBERS