What exactly is a volatile organic compound? The Shocking Truth About VOCs

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are dangerous substances found in many common household items and in Nature.

 

Chemicals like paint thinner and perfume have distinctive odors because volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are lighter than air at room temperature.

 

In addition to having a high vapor pressure, VOCs are notoriously insoluble in water. Since they are more prone to spontaneously transforming into a gas at normal temperatures, they are dangerously volatile if allowed to escape containment. These compounds do not dissolve easily (if at all) in water because of their low water solubility.

 

The EPA reports that volatile organic compounds are frequently employed in the chemical industry as solvents. Paints, petroleum fuels, and medications include volatile organic compounds (VOCs), but animals, plants, and bacteria also make VOCs. Continual contact with volatile organic compounds has been linked to severe health problems, including respiratory irritation and cancer.

 

Exactly where do volatile organic compounds (VOCs) originate?

 

Some volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, are generated spontaneously by species like animals, plants, and microorganisms; they are referred to as biogenic VOCs (BVOCs). In 1999, researchers found in the Journal of Atmospheric Chemistry that isoprene and monoterpenes were the most common BVOCs. According to research published in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics in 2014, both of these BVOCs are made by plants.

 

Plant life accounts for 90% of the atmosphere's volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by a rainforest, for instance, keep the air above it clean and chemically balanced by interacting with dangerous pollutants in the air, but this does not occur in places devoid of plant life, as was demonstrated in a study published in 2008 in Nature.

 

A large portion of the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the environment (10–20%) are produced by humans and originate from a wide variety of materials. According to the EPA, some of the most common causes are gasoline, diesel, hydraulic fluids, paint thinners, and dry-cleaning chemicals. Numerous construction supplies, cleaning products, cosmetics, permanent markers, adhesives, printers, and copiers are some of the everyday objects emitting volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the home or workplace.

 

The EPA reports that the concentration of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) inside a typical American home is two to five times higher than outside. Also, EPA scientists have discovered that some volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can linger in the air for up to a thousand times their outdoor concentrations inside a building for several hours.

 

Will VOCs hurt you?

 

Depending on the Nature of the chemical and the degree of exposure, VOCs provide varying degrees of risk to human health. But exposure to many VOCs, whether at high or even low levels for an extended time, can be harmful to human health.

 

Cigarette smoke, gasoline, paint, and vehicle exhaust emit benzene, a proven carcinogen and one of the most notoriously dangerous volatile organic compounds. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) like benzene can sometimes give off odors. Still, the Minnesota Department of Health notes that this is not always a reliable signal of the chemical's potential health danger.

 

Perchloroethylene is another often observed hazardous VOC that is typically employed in the dry cleaning process. According to EPA studies, perchloroethylene is a chemical that has been discovered to be inhaled by people when near or wearing dry-cleaned garments. Many dry cleaners try to get rid of as much of the chemical as possible, but if the clothes still smell musty when you pick them up, they may have been contaminated with perchloroethylene. If that's the case, find a new dry cleaner and ask the current one to keep your clothes until they're dry.

 

High, brief exposure to VOCs can irritate the eyes, nose, and throat, as well as headaches, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and worsening asthma symptoms. The Minnesota Department of Health reports that chronic exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) at high or even low levels might cause cancer, liver and kidney damage, or nervous system harm.

 

Since most household items contain various chemicals, it is difficult to determine which poses the greatest risk to human health due to VOC emissions. The potential threat to household health from these substances varies with the amount and Nature of their use. The CDC's database of hazardous chemicals contains information about how some VOCs are known to affect health.

 

Since neither the federal government nor individual states set standards for safe levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in non-industrial areas, the Minnesota Department of Health advises avoiding as many VOC-containing products as possible in the home if you or a member of your family is experiencing health problems that could be related to VOC exposure. You should keep the items in a secure location that few people would ever see, such as a garage or storage shed. Because materials emit VOCs more in warm temperatures and stagnant air holds VOCs for longer, improving ventilation and keeping the home cool can also be helpful.

Reference : https://www.livescience.com/what-is-voc

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# What are VOCs? Details concerning volatile organic compounds

# What's a VOC? Information about volatile organic compounds