Acrylic vs. Oil: What Is Toxicity And How To Manage It

If you read an article about the VOC content of paints, you may have a valid question: why all these paints are not labelled as toxic? I’ll tell you more, all they will have a label “non-toxic”. The reason is that the term “toxic” is limited by ingredients that cause “adverse chronic health effects” and “acute and/or chronic health hazard”.  In other words, if acute exposure to a certain paint doesn’t damage your body enough to the stage when it’s unreversible, or medical assistance is needed, the paint is officially non-toxic, and it’s your responsibility to provide proper ventilation and use protective equipment (glasses, gloves etc.) 

However, paints that contain cobalt, cadmium, lead, nickel, and many other heavy metals and major harsh toxins have to be marked as toxic. The USA is much stricter in this matter and the list of ingredients that would have warning signs is much longer. You can find it here: https://www.p65warnings.ca.gov/

All these are reasons why MSDS for the same kind of paints usually split for paints that don’t have toxic pigments and paints contain them. Lists of colours described by “non-toxic” and “toxic” documents usually are included by manufacturers. 

For some reason, even the industrial paint industry has much clearer labelling and standards than artist’s paints. Most of them show a list of ingredients and disclose VOC levels as well as precautionary measures. Anyways, as each of us has only one body and we’re going to carry it until the end of the day, that’s our responsibility to take proper care of it. Let’s take a look at how to provide safety in the workplace.

Oil paints and toxicity

As we mentioned in the previous articles, most of the toxicity of oil paints comes from solvents. Turpentine and white spirits as well as tons of odourless variations of those drag toxicity to the oil painting process. Yes, solvents ARE hazardous, cause eye and skin irritation, and may cause drowsiness or dizziness. Solvents may be fatal if swallowed and enter airways. Simply DO NOT USE SOLVENTS! Solvents are OPTIONAL for oil painting.

Another source of toxicity comes from certain pigments. However, such pigments can be present in any kind of paint (oil, acrylic, watercolours, gouache, tempera etc.) and are not exclusively linked to oil painting.

Technically, if you avoid them your painting process is non-toxic. Some manufacturers may add solvents inside the tubes, but now it’s getting less and less common. However, I recommend checking MSDS just in case and choosing your brands wisely.

Oil paints dry slowly and release VOC slowly as paints dry, so give your artwork 6 months or more before having it in the bedroom. Even though the VOC level is quite low there, it’s better to be on the safer side.

Because oil is quite a flammable material it’s recommended to take extra caution and avoid painting close to fireplaces, working heaters and other places that have potential fire hazards. The flashpoint of linseed oil is about 93 Celsius. 

We will talk about the storage and cleaning up process in further topics.

Acrylic paints and toxicity

The same as for oil painting, watch for pigments used. If you are sure that cobalt or cadmium may harm you, then just ignore this part.

When people say acrylic is “water-based”, they associate this statement with safety. Yes, acrylics do contain water that carries all ingredients and pigments, but it’s not a base, it’s one of the ingredients. As the acrylic polymer dispersant contains styrene, an alkyl methacrylate or a mixture of styrene and an alkyl methacrylate, you should take measures that keep your workplace safe. 

Methyl methacrylate can cause skin, eye and respiratory irritation. As we discussed before, proper ventilation is required, unless you paint outdoors. Health authorities recommend typically 10 air changes per hour. If special equipment is used for ventilation, make sure it’s fire-proof as the methyl methacrylate vapours are highly flammable. 

Styrene is a chemical used to make latex, synthetic rubber, and polystyrene resins. When you breathe air containing styrene, most of the styrene will rapidly enter your body through your lungs and will be broken down into other chemicals that leave your body in the urine within a few days. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has determined that styrene is a possible carcinogen.

However,  the most dangerous guy in acrylic paints is ammonia. According to technical information, ammonia is a flammable gas that may form explosive mixtures with air. It may displace oxygen and cause rapid suffocation. It’s harmful if inhaled and can cause severe skin burns and eye damage. 

For acrylic painters, health authorities recommend wearing protective gloves and clothing and using proper eye protection. Keep your paints away from heat, hot surfaces, sparks, open flames and other ignition sources. Avoid smoking, drinking and eating in the room. Use paints only outdoors or in a well-ventilated area.