Does Ecos Air Purifying Paint Make Toxic Chemicals Stick to Walls?

March 26, 2019, by Debra Lynn Dadd

This past week on my Facebook Group (no longer available) there was a question about ECOS Air Pure Air Purifying Paints.

I have used many ECOS paint and varnish products, but I've never used their "air purifying" products, and I just had a thought about them. They have trade-secret "inert minerals" that "trap" various harmful toxins and "transform each wall in your home into a massive indoor air filter." This sounds good until you realize that this means THE HARMFUL TOXINS NEVER LEAVE. I wondered what group members think about this, and if anyone has used these products.

Since I can’t write a lengthy response on Facebook that includes multiple images and links, I thought I would respond here.

This is actually a very good question.

I read everything on the webpage and then called ECOS and spoke with Julian Crawford, CEO of the company that is the US Distributor of Ecos Paints. I interviewed him in 2014 when I was doing Toxic Free Talk Radio.

Julian answered all of my questions and explained very clearly that the paint TRAPS the chemicals and then HOLDS them on the walls, thereby removing them from floating freely in the air where you can inhale them. The chemicals DO NOT release back into the room.

The web page says “VOC-neutralizing.” To me that means make something that was previously toxic becomes neutral. To ECOS this means that the room becomes neutral of toxic chemicals.

They consider applying this paint turns your room into a giant air filter. And it does, to a degree. It passively and silently is removing chemicals 24 hours a day to the capacity of the paint to hold the chemicals. How long it takes for the paint to reach capacity depends on how much VOCs are in the room. I have always been an advocate of removing chemical exposures as the first choice, but I also know there are times when it’s not possible to remove. A paint like this just might be perfect for a rented apartment, for example, where neighbors are sending toxic VOCs your way. But I would also have on hand a dedicated air filtration unit that removes both particles and VOCs to turn on when you need it.

Here are the reductions in chemicals present in the air of a room following the application of this paint (to read more, Click on tab "Data Sheets" then "APP Performance Test”.

I also noticed that ECOS is participating in the “Declare” program of the International Living Future Institute.

Below is the ECOS Declare statement that lists all the materials that are used in this paint. I’ve rewritten the ingredients along side because I find this format difficult to read.

 Vehicle: Water
Binder: Oleic Acid, Sulfonated, Potassium Salt
Extender Pigment: Titanium Dioxide, Kaolin Clay (Calcinated), Hectorite
Thickener: Calcium Carbonate, Xanthan Gum
Absorbant: Zeolite, Rheology
Modifier: Hydroxethyl Alcohol Cellulose, Polyoxyethylene Trimethyldecyl Alcohol
Dispersant: Ammonium Polyacrylate, Polyacrylic Acid
Preservative: 1-Hydroxy-2(1h)-Pyridinethione, Sodium Salt
Defoamer: Paraffin Oil
Retarder: Glycerin
Antimicrobial Adhesion: Vanillin

This is an interesting list of ingredients. Ecos does not claim their paints are “natural,” they claim their paints are “odorless.” Julian sent me a box of samples of all their different types of paints and finishes before our interview in 2014 and they certainly were odorless. But if you have a personal need to eliminate petroleum, this isn’t your paint.

It’s interesting to me that on one hand there are petroleum ingredients and on the other hand there are edible food ingredients such as sodium and potassium salts, xanthin gum, and zeolite.

In addition to air purifying paint, ECOS also has

• Air Purifying Primer

• Air Purifying Varnish

• Anti-Formaldehyde Paint

• Anti-Formaldehyde Radiator Paint

See them all at ECOS Air Purifying Products.