VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS (VOCs)

Sources of Indoor Air Pollution, among others include, Asbestos, Biological Pollutants, Carbon Monoxide (CO), Formaldehyde/Pressed Wood Products, Lead (Pb),
Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2), Pesticides, Radon (Rn), Respirable Particles, Secondhand Smoke/Environmental Tobacco Smoke, Stoves, Heaters, Fireplaces, Chimneys & Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs).

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) refer to organic chemical compounds which have significant vapor pressures & which can affect the environment & human health. VOCs are emitted by a wide array of products numbering in the thousands. VOC include both man-made & naturally occuring chemical compounds. It is the anthropogenic (human produced) VOCs that are regulated, especially for indoors where concentrations can be highest. VOCs are typically not acutely toxic BUT HAVE CHRONIC EFFECTS.

Sources of VOCs are found in household products such as paints, paint strippers, lacquers, & other solvents, wood preservatives, aerosol sprays, cleansers & disinfectants, moth repellents & air fresheners, stored fuels & automotive products, hobby supplies, dry-cleaned clothing, among others.

Sources of Anthropogenic (human produced) VOCs

Paints & Coatings :
A major source of man-made VOCs are solvents, especially paints & protective coatings. Solvents are required to spread a protective or decorative film. Approximately 12 billion liters of paints are produced annually. Typical solvents are aliphatic hydrocarbons, ethyl acetate, glycol ethers, & acetone.

Chlorofluorocarbons & Chlorocarbons
Chloroflourocarbons which are banned or highly regulated, were widely used cleaning products & refrigerants. Tetrachloroethene is used widely in dry cleaning & by industry. Industrial use of fossil fuels produces VOCs either directly as products (eg. gasoline) or indirectly as by-products (eg. automobile exhaust).

MTBE
MTBE was banned in the US around 2004 in order to limit further contamination of drinking water aquifers.

Indoor Air
Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) : Since people today spend most of their time at home or in the office, long-term exposure to VOCs in the indoor environment can contribute to Sick Building Syndrome.

In Offices, VOC results from new furnishings, wall coverings & office equipments such as photocopy machines, printers, correction fluids, carbonless copy papers, glues, adhesives, permanent markers, which can off-gas VOCs into the air. Studies also show that relative leukemia & lymphoma can increase through prolonged exposure of VOCs in the indoor environment.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has found concentrations of VOCs in indoor air commonly much greater than in outdoor air - up to 10 times higher. During certain activities such as paint stripping, indoor levels of VOCs may reach 1,000 times that of the outside air. New buildings especially, contribute to the highest level of VOC off-gassing in an indoor environment because of the abundant new materials generating VOC particles at the same time in such a short time period.

In addition to new buildings, we also use many consumer products such as cleaning supplies, pesticides that emit VOC compounds, therefore the total concentration of VOC levels is much greater within the indoor environment. High indoor VOC levels are attributed to the low rates of air exchange between the indoor & outdoor environment as a result of tight-shut windows & the increasing use of Humidifiers.

Benzene is a known human carcinogen. The main indoor sources of this chemical are environmental tobacco smoke, stored fuels, paint supplies & automobile emissions, especially in attached garages.

Perchloroethylene is the chemical most widely used in dry cleaning. In laboratory studies, it has been shown to cause cancer in animals. Recent studies indicate that people breathe low levels of this chemical both in homes where dry-cleaned goods are stored & as they wear dry-cleaned clothing.

Formaldehyde
Many building materials such as paints, adhesives, wall boards & ceiling tiles slowly emit formaldehyde, which irritates the mucous membranes & can make a person irritated & uncomfortable. Formaldehyde emissions from wood are in the range of 0.02 - 0.04 ppm. Relative humidity within an indoor environment can also affect the emissions of formaldehyde. High relative humidity & high temperatures allow more vaporization of formaldehyde from wood-materials. US Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) regulates formaldehyde, a specific VOC, as a carcinogen. (A carcinogen is any substance that is an agent directly involved in causing cancer).

Health Risks
Respiratory, allergic or immune effects in infants or children are associated with man-made VOCs & other indoor or outdoor air pollutants.

Health effects include :
Eye, Nose & Throat Irritation, Headaches, Loss of Coordination, Nausea, Damage to Liver, Kidney & Central Nervous System. Some organics can cause cancer in animals; some are suspected or known to cause cancer in humans.
Key signs or symptoms associated with exposure to VOCs include Conjunctival Irritation, Nose & Throat Discomfort, Headaches, Allergic Skin Reaction, Dyspnea, Declines in Serum Cholinesterase Levels, Nausea, Emesis, Epistaxis, Fatique, Dizziness. (Remember that eye & respiratory tract irritation, headaches, dizziness, visual disorders & memory impairment are among the immediate symptoms that some people have experienced soon after exposure to some organics).EPA's Office Of Research & Development's Study has found that while people are using products containing organic chemicals, they can expose themselves & others to very high pollutant levels, & elevated concentrations can persist in the air long after the activity is completed.

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