Green isn't just a paint color.

Major paint manufacturers are developing and marketing new interior paint products sporting the "green" label, appealing to customers interested in environmentally friendly paints or simply trying to reduce potential allergens in their homes. Low odor and the reduction or elimination of VOC's or volatile organic compounds reduces vapors in the air than can impact indoor air quality.

Low VOC paint can improve air quality within the home, says Dan Johnston, national director of the American Lung Association's Health House program.

Aura, a new product introduced last month by Benjamin Moore, is a 100-percent acrylic interior super premium paint that features a waterborne colorant system and a low VOC formulation - under 50 grams per liter, which betters the VOC regulatory standards. Federal regulations allow for up to 250 grams for flat and 280 rams for non-flat paint. Colorants often contain additional VOCs, but Aura's waterborne color system adds no additional VOCs.

"Not all paint is created equal," said Carl Minchew, director of color technology for Benjamin Moore. "Aura is the next generation of paint, formulated to provide the highest quality finish for those who demand only the best in their interior spaces."

Earlier eco-friendly paint versions were available in basic colors. Today, choices include standard palettes and a nearly limitless choice of custom colors.

The company describes Aura as "the first major innovation in coatings since the introduction of latex paint in the 1950s." ColorLock technology locks in the color to cover most surfaces in one coat.

Big deal, you think. Other paints make the same claim.

There is a difference, according to Benjamin Moore. The waterborne colorant in Aura embeds itself in the binding agent, locking color pigments to the paint film, eliminating color rub-off. In standard paint, color pigment is only loosely held by the binding agent, resulting in a loose film and potential for color rub-off.

Sherwin-Williams' green initiatives include the GreenSure logo on the Duration Home and Harmony products. Sustainable raw materials, such as soy and sunflower oil, are used in paints and the amount of VOCs has been reduced. ProGreen 200 is the contractor series.

Harmony interior latex is a zero-VOC, low odor coating that eliminates the wait for paint fumes to dissipate, says Steve Revnew, director of marketing, product development for Sherwin-Williams.

Locally, some customers are requesting low VOC paints, says Devon Lawson, a customer service specialist at Sherwin-Williams in Cedar Falls. "We're starting to see interest from do-it-yourselfers and contractors. Having low VOC paint means lower fumes, too. There's less odor and time you have to spend out of an area after its painted."

No special tools are required and the paint is applied like any other conventional paint products.

Pittsburgh Paints' Pure Performance product was the first paint to receive Green Seal Class A certification for meeting environmental standards. It features zero-VOC's and a low-odor formulation.

"Typically we're selling a lot of it for people with bad allergies and for the elderly, and it's the kind of paint being used in nursing homes and hospitals. We're also seeing it be used in restaurants and cafeterias, and we're selling it for people refurbishing offices," says Casey Albright, assistant manager at Pittsburgh Paints/Iowa Paint.