[New varnishing techniques and health risk assessment]

The first part of the report signals the significant changes coating processes have endured over the last twenty years. The shift from traditional "solvent-based" paints to "water-based" paints marked a very important toxicological evolution, to reduce the possible toxic effects, to improve the products quality and to limit environmental pollution, Old and new recipes for preparation of paints and enamels are compared and discussed. The second part of the report summarizes the international literature concerning epidemiological data on painters and describes the toxic effects in experimental area that are reported for several solvents of water-based paints.