Indoor Air Quality

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC)

Volatile Organic Compound: Any organic compound which evaporates readily to the atmosphere.

Volatile organic compounds (VOC) are considered a factor in indoor air quality issues such as sick building syndrome. They are  generated by materials as they are used or when components oxidize

Common artificial sources of VOCs include paint thinners, dry cleaning solvents, and some constituents of petroleum fuels (eg. gasoline and natural gas. They are often used in paint, carpet backing, plastics, and cosmetics such as nail polish. 

One irritant, formeldahyde, present in hundreds of building components, including wood and laminated furniture, shelving, and wall covers. It also evaporates from paints, varnishes, and chemicals used for sealing and finishing walls.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has found concentrations of VOCs in indoor air to be 2 to 5 times greater than in outdoor air. During certain activities indoor levels of VOCs may reach 1,000 times that of the outside air. 

Not all organic compounds are volatile; many plastics (polymers) and other large molecules may not have significant vapor pressure at normal temperatures.

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