Decorative paints have undergone substantial solvent reformulation in response to air quality regulatory pressure and advances in materials science, but they remain an important contributor to national VOC emissions. Paint-derived VOCs currently represent 9.6% of total United Kingdom VOC emissions. The changes in UK emissions from decorative paints (1990–2024) have been quantified using a combination of national emissions inventory data, laboratory analysis using headspace GC/MS, and atmospheric modelling. A major decline in total mass of VOC emissions from paints followed the implementation of the EU Paints Directive, with per capita emissions falling by approximately 60% between 2004 and 2019 from 0.532 kg per person per year to 0.210 kg per person per year. The reduction in mass of paint VOC emissions coincided with a transition away from hydrocarbon solvents, notably alkanes such as decane, and other alkane isomers in the C8–C12 range. Paints in 2024 contain virtually no alkane content, instead comprising a wide range of chemical functionalities, including alcohols, ketones, esters, and siloxanes. The VOC speciation in 2024 varied significantly by manufacturer, but rather little across manufacturers' product range for different end-uses. Reformulated 2024 paints exhibited substantially lower SOA formation potential, approximately six times lower than older alkane-based paint formulations and had reduced total hydroxyl radical reactivity. Atmospheric model simulations comparing decane (reflective of 1990 paints) and t-butanol (reflecting 2024 paints) indicated that modern VOC emission mixtures likely degrade more slowly and generate less formaldehyde as a by-product. This study provides an updated VOC speciation for paints, suitable for use in emissions inventories and air pollution assessments.
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)