task to make sure that in-door environment is safe for its inhabitants. There are many air pollutants which cause in-door environments to be hazardous for people. Most of these pollutants are added in domestic products like paints, building materials, spray adhesives and many more.
This article will delve into the impact of spray adhesives on in-door air quality as they are frequently used by people. It will also tell some solutions to mitigate these harmful effects of spray hazardous on in-door air quality. But, before that, we first need to have an overview of spray adhesives.
What are Spray Adhesives?
Spray Adhesives are pressurized tins which emit a glue to stick various items. They have become popular among the masses in recent times. They render numerous amounts of benefits along with comfort and user satisfaction. It is a product of priority for many professionals and DIY enthusiasts. They are most commonly used in arts and crafts, wood works and other crafting works.
Composition of Spray Adhesives
As already mentioned that spray adhesives come in tin packing with a trigger on them. After pressing that trigger, a pressurized mist comes out of it and helps in bonding different objects. The chemical composition of spray adhesives is a combination of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other chemicals. Some of the constituents of spray adhesives are as follows:
Propellants
Propellants are basically gases and liquids that get in contact with air once released from spray adhesive’s tin. The create an aerosol effect in the environment. Usually, hydrocarbons and gases like butane and propane are used as propellants.
Resins
Resins act as primary bonding agents of spray adhesives. They obviously vary for different spray adhesives depending on intend of use.
Solvents
Solvents in spray adhesives act as solutions or common solvents. They are added to dissolve the primary ingredients of spray adhesives and facilitate their usage. some common solvents used in spray adhesives are acetone, toluene, xylene etcetera.
Additives
Additives are the add-ons in the spray adhesives. Various additives like plasticizers, thickeners or stabilizers are added in spray adhesives to boost up their performance. Their entire purpose is to enhance the quality of spray adhesives. They make spray adhesives more proficient.
Impact of Spray Adhesives on In-Door Air Quality
The composition of spray adhesives has already been discussed which brings the question of its impact on in-door air quality. There are definitely some impacts of spray adhesives which are considered harmful for human beings. Some of them are explained below:
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Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
Volatile organic compounds, also knowns as VOCs, are compounds that vaporize into air when released from spray adhesives. Many solvents and propellants in spray adhesives act as volatile organic compounds. They are considered extremely dangerous for in-door air quality. Any prolonged exposure to these compounds can cause many health problems like irritation, headaches etcetera.
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Strong Smell
Due to the presence of volatile organic compounds, spray adhesives carry strong smell with them. This smell is very disturbing for people breathing in it. It makes them uncomfortable and sick.
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Off-Gassing
Spray adhesives have a huge benefit of quick drying. This benefit attracts many people. But it also has a downside to it. Even after spray adhesives are dried up properly, they keep on releasing volatile organic compounds in the in-door air. This persists for days and sometimes for weeks. This prolongs the deterioration of in-door air quality.
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Long-term Effects
Those people who breath in poor air quality, containing volatile organic compounds in it, might suffer through long lasting effects of these pollutants. They might catch up health problems like respiratory problems or other chronic diseases, which can damage their health for longer periods of time.
Solutions
As with every problem, there are applicable solutions. The down-sides of spray adhesives can be mitigated if you follow the following guidelines.
- Use low VOC spray adhesives. This can help in reducing the deterioration of in-door air quality by significant means.
- Make sure that proper ventilation is maintained while using spray adhesives. Use exhaust fans to keep up with ventilation.
- Make sure to use proper equipment before applying pray adhesives. Use protective clothing like gloves and masks to protect yourself from breathing in low quality air.
- Never store spray adhesives in hot areas. This might lead them to releasing more VOCs. Always keep them stored in cooler temperatures.
Conclusion
Spray adhesives have proved themselves to be valuable for consumer market. They have many upside benefits along with comfort for the user. They also happen to have adverse effects on the in-door air quality. This can be brought under control if proper SOPs are followed. Spray adhesives can be used for one’s ease while keeping its downsides under control.