The paint industry is changing fast these
days. As coatings manufacturers reformulate
their products to adhere to stricter air
pollution standards, they are altering the
way paints and other finishes behave, both
on the brush and on the finished surface.
The move to water-based paints (often
generically called "latex" paints, though
latex is no longer an ingredient) is being
driven by a growing body of state and city
regulations that limit the amount of
VOCs — volatile organic compounds —
allowed in paints. When VOCs are
released into the air, they react with other
elements and with sunlight to form ozone.
Ozone is desirable in the upper atmosphere,
where it filters sunlight; at ground
level, though, it's