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Toxicity of paint, varnish, and lacquers

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Paints, varnish, and lacquers provide colorful durable wood finish. If inhaled, nausea, headache, dizziness, and respiratory problems may occur. They cause irritation, redness, and burning of skin and eyes. Allergic reactions and dermatitis are possible. Symptoms of ingestion include burning sensation, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain.

Prevention Tips

  • Keep paints, varnishes and lacquers up, away, and out of sight of children.

  • Read product labels for instructions on use.

  • Follow precautions on the product label.

  • Always work in a well-ventilated area.

  • Choose paints and varnishes with low volatile organic chemical content.

  • Consider using personal protective equipment to minimize the amount of fumes inhaled.

  • Wear gloves.

  • Wash hands thoroughly after working with paint, varnish or lacquer.

  • Use eye protection.

  • Safely dispose of these products.

This Really Happened

A mother was touching up the varnish on a kitchen chair. She poured a small amount of naphtha-containing varnish into a jar. She stepped away to answer the door, when her 2-year-old son grabbed the jar and swallowed a small amount of varnish. The child vomited and coughed several times. The mother called their poison center for advice. She was told to rinse his mouth out with water and give him a small amount to drink to rinse his throat. Since he was symptomatic, she was advised to take him to the emergency department for medical evaluation. Once in the emergency department, the coughing resolved and he remained asymptomatic. A chest X-ray was normal. He was observed for 6 hours and sent home.

Paint, varnish, and lacquer: Ingredients to know

The main ingredients in paint are pigment, binder, and solvent. The pigment and binder dissolve in the solvent which varies depending on the type of paint. It can be water-based, oil based (mineral oil), or a volatile organic chemical (VOC) such as toluene, xylene, ethanol, isopropanol, acetone, and others. 

Varnish is a clear protective coating consisting of a resin, drying oil, drier, and volatile solvent. The varnish hardens once the solvent evaporates through a chemical reaction between the oils and air, or through a chemical reaction between the ingredients in the varnish. 

Lacquer is a type of varnish which is a glossy durable finish that protects wood from scratches, wear, and moisture. It contains nitrocellulose, resin, plasticizer, and solvent.

  

Are these products toxic when swallowed?

Yes, these products are toxic when swallowed. They are very irritating to the gastrointestinal tract. Some solvents can be absorbed into the body and cause systemic toxicity. Oil-based products can also be aspirated (inhaled into the lungs) when swallowed, which results in aspiration pneumonia. 

Inhalation and exposure to the skin?

Most indoor paints are water-based and safe for use. Oil-based or VOC-containing paints, varnishes, and lacquers may not be safe to breathe, especially if you are working with large quantities, for a long period of time, and in a poorly ventilated area. Lacquer and varnish also can be harmful to skin.

Symptoms of a toxic exposure

Fumes can be irritating to the nose and throat. Inhaling these products can cause nausea, headache, dizziness, coughing, difficulty breathing, and wheezing. On the skin, redness, itching, burns, blisters, allergic reactions, and dermatitis (skin inflammation) can occur. In the eye, irritation, burning, and redness can occur. 

If swallowed, these products can cause irritation to the mouth, throat, esophagus, and stomach. Symptoms include burning sensation, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. If aspirated into the lungs, you may experience cough, shortness of breath, wheezing, chest pain, and fever which can progress to severe respiratory distress. 

Is chronic exposure harmful?

Occupational exposure to chemical substances in paints, varnishes, and lacquers are associated with chronic toxicity, especially if precautions such as wearing personal protective equipment are not followed. There is an increased risk of dermatitis and other skin problems, respiratory toxicity, and neurological toxicity (including fatigue, impaired memory, and more severe irreversible damage) as well as cancer of the larynx and an oral cavity.

Experiencing an emergency? 

If a small amount is accidentally swallowed and there are no symptoms, the person will probably be okay without medical attention. Rinse mouth and give the person a glass of water to drink. If the product gets on the skin, wash thoroughly with soap and water. If splashed in the eyes, rinse with running water for 15 minutes. If inhaled, leave the area and breathe fresh air. 

For case-specific recommendations, use the webPOISONCONTROL® online tool to get help, or call your poison center at 1-800-222-1222. Whether online or by phone, expert guidance is always free, confidential, and available 24 hours a day.

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Wendy Klein-Schwartz, Pharm.D., MPH,
Clinical Toxicologist

For More Info

Organic Solvent Neurotoxicity. CDC.

References

Dharmarajan L, Ammar H. Expanding the differential: toluene-induced toxicity. BMJ Case Rep. 2017;2017:bcr2017220986.  doi: 10.1136/bcr-2017-220986.

Ernstgard L, Lof A, Wieslander F, Norback D, Johanson G. Acute effects of some volatile organic compound emitted from water-based paints. J Occup Environ Med. 2007;49(8):880-890.  doi: 10.1097/JOM.0b013e3181161ced.

Haque F, Kumar SR, Azad S, James I. An unusual burn with varnish: a case report. Burns. 2005;31(7):933-934.  doi: 10.1016/j.burns.2005.02.024.

Prayulsatien W. Sudden death from toluene intoxication: a case report and review of the literature. J Med Assoc Thai. 2013;96(9):1242-1244.

Saif NT, Janecki JM, Wanner A, Colin AA, Kumar N. Pediatric asthma attack and home paint exposure. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(8):4118. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18084118.

Sekhar L, Venguidesvarane AG, Thiruvengadam G, Sharma Y, Venugopal V, Rengarajan S, Johnson P. Respiratory symptoms and pulmonary function in paint industry workers exposed to volatile organic compounds: A systematic Review. PLoS One. 2024;19(12):e0315464. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0315464.

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