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How Long Do Paint Fumes Stay In The Environment And Cause Infection?
Question: My house was painted with Valspar Reserve wall paint and Valspar ceiling paint. It has now been eight weeks and the smell is almost gone. My adult son visited and slept in the living room with one wall about fifteen feet high. It was when the paint odor was quite strong. The cans were supposed to be zero vocs and water based. Communication with paint company and to coming out were no help. I am concerned about my son's future health. He slept on a sofa next to the tall wall. Windows were mostly kept open 24 hours a day. He kept his clothing in the room as well as other travel items such as suitcase and computer. Are thyou SE items now contaminated? Everybody I contacted to try and find solutions to the very strong lingering fumes just said they have never heard of it. On Valspar co paints online there are people who complain about this paint smelling for months or a year or longer. I can still smell the paint which was used in all room except one but the odor is now greatly diminished. Thank you. He was here for three weeks.
Brief Answer:
Nothing to worry, however routine and timely follow-up to continue..
Detailed Answer:
Hello XXXX, Welcome to HCM,
I've gone through your query in details and understand your concern for your son,
However, let me assure you that 8 weeks time span is more than enough to eliminate any type of secondary exposure related injury due to paints and paint thinners..
Also, you've mentioned that your son slept in a well ventilated room and till now he hasn't exhibited any symptoms (I presume as per all the descriptions), so it's extremely unlikely that there'll be any future health hazard particularly due to this..
Generally, symptoms like breathing difficulty, chest discomfort, burning sensation while eating/drinking/breathing, pain abdomen, redness/watering of eyes, lethargy, confusion etc. are those list of symptoms which start appearing with a few minutes to hours of exposure only(when there's any risk involved)..
No, the clothing won't get contaminated, as this is not at all a mode of contamination, please don't worry..
You should note that paint and paint thinner fume related injuries are extremely severe and happens within hours to days, if at all there was any risk, then it would've definitely been exhibited by your son during that prolonged phase of stay for 3 months..
The reason why nobody is able to provide conclusions in this aspect is simply due to it's rarity..
Yes, your right, now a days all these paints are water based only, and all those severe risks and health hazards are mainly related to oil-based paints and paint thinners which are almost extinct..
So to conclude, you or your son has nothing to be fearful in this regard, be happy and healthy..
Let me know if there's any further queries that I can guide you with..
Take Care
Kind Regards
P.S. If there's no further queries then please close this thread and rate it and put down your valuable feedback for future references..
For future reference you can always get in touch with me, below is my direct follow-up link through which you can contact me anytime anywhere, I'll be happy to help -
http://www.healthcaremagic.com/Funnel?page=askDoctorDirectly&docId=71041
Nothing to worry, however routine and timely follow-up to continue..
Detailed Answer:
Hello XXXX, Welcome to HCM,
I've gone through your query in details and understand your concern for your son,
However, let me assure you that 8 weeks time span is more than enough to eliminate any type of secondary exposure related injury due to paints and paint thinners..
Also, you've mentioned that your son slept in a well ventilated room and till now he hasn't exhibited any symptoms (I presume as per all the descriptions), so it's extremely unlikely that there'll be any future health hazard particularly due to this..
Generally, symptoms like breathing difficulty, chest discomfort, burning sensation while eating/drinking/breathing, pain abdomen, redness/watering of eyes, lethargy, confusion etc. are those list of symptoms which start appearing with a few minutes to hours of exposure only(when there's any risk involved)..
No, the clothing won't get contaminated, as this is not at all a mode of contamination, please don't worry..
You should note that paint and paint thinner fume related injuries are extremely severe and happens within hours to days, if at all there was any risk, then it would've definitely been exhibited by your son during that prolonged phase of stay for 3 months..
The reason why nobody is able to provide conclusions in this aspect is simply due to it's rarity..
Yes, your right, now a days all these paints are water based only, and all those severe risks and health hazards are mainly related to oil-based paints and paint thinners which are almost extinct..
So to conclude, you or your son has nothing to be fearful in this regard, be happy and healthy..
Let me know if there's any further queries that I can guide you with..
Take Care
Kind Regards
P.S. If there's no further queries then please close this thread and rate it and put down your valuable feedback for future references..
For future reference you can always get in touch with me, below is my direct follow-up link through which you can contact me anytime anywhere, I'll be happy to help -
http://www.healthcaremagic.com/Funnel?page=askDoctorDirectly&docId=71041
Note: For more detailed guidance, please consult an Internal Medicine Specialist, with your latest reports. Click here..
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Arnab Banerjee
Answered by
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