Are Intumescent Paints Toxic?
Smoking Building
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Do you think all intumescent paints are created equal? They are not.
A big part of the toxicity story goes back to when a particular fire retardant paint was formulated. Not that long ago, the only way to formulate a fire retardant paint meant you had some very toxic components in it. Not only are they toxic in a fire, but they also leak toxins in the air you breathe every day – especially in hot, humid environments. Always read the product’s Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) carefully and always look to see if the MSDS was prepared independently or by the manufacturer. If it hasn’t been independently prepared, don’t trust it.
It is also critical that the intumescent paint manufacturer supports VOC claims with third party independent certified laboratory tests for content (ASTM D 3960) as well as toxic gas generation (BSS7239-88). You can view what these test documents look like and see Contego’s results here.
To view the damaging results of toxic fire retardant paints you may want to view the HBO documentary “Toxic Hot Seat”, a searing expose on the use of chemical flame-retardants. You can watch this incredibly informative film here.
