Green Seal (www.greanseal.org) is an independent non-profit organization dedicated to safeguarding the environment and transforming the marketplace by promoting the manufacture, purchase and use of environmentally responsible products and services. A revised edition of GS-11, Green Seal’s Environmental Standards for Paints and Coatings, was released on May 12, 2008.

Traditional interior and household paints contain many chemicals including volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Some of these harmful chemicals including benzene, formaldehyde, and toluene, have been linked in scientific studies to bad health outcomes, including eye, nose and throat irritation, nausea, headaches, and even cancer.

Because VOCs are volatile, they can “off-gas