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Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are found in most industrial chemicals such as fuel, solvents and paints, which vaporize causing damaged to the environment and leaving that strong paint smell in your home.
VOCs may be natural or synthetic. Like organic chemicals in general, there are millions of different compounds which may be classified as VOCs. The compounds the nose detects as smells are generally VOCs. Modern industrial chemicals such as fuels, solvents, coatings, feedstocks, and refrigerants are usually VOCs.
As organic chemicals, VOC may have health consequences, but this is depending on the specific chemicals that are part of the umbrella defition "VOC". For indoor air purposes, there are long lists of limit values published by German AgBB, French AFSSET, and California EPA ("CREL"). Because they tend toward the gaseous state, management of toxic VOCs is more difficult than with non-volatile compounds. Human exposure to VOCs can be through contact with the solid, liquid, or gaseous forms, inhalation of the gaseous form, or ingestion of the liquid form or solutions containing the VOC.
VOCs are unstable, carbon-containing compounds that readily vaporize into the air. When they enter the air, they react with other elements to produce ozone, which causes air pollution and a host of health issues including breathing problems, headache, burning, watery eyes and nausea. Some VOCs also have been linked to cancer, as well as kidney and liver damage [source: Chadderdon].
As paint dries, these harmful VOCs are released into the air at high levels. Indoor VOC levels are routinely 10 times higher than outdoor levels, and up to 1,000 times higher immediately after painting [source: Pennock]. Although VOC levels are highest during and soon after painting, they continue seeping out for several years. In fact, only 50 percent of the VOCs may be released in the first year [source: Green Seal "Proposed"].
Because of their health effects, VOCs are regulated in some places. The large number of VOCs combined with their numerous exposure pathways make comprehensive management, discussion or regulation of volatile organic compounds impractical. Instead, subsets of VOCs are regulated by a wide variety of governmental agencies.
The British coatings industry has adopted a VOC labelling scheme for all decorative coatings to inform customers about the levels of organic solvents and other volatile materials present. Coatings manufacturers use standard terminology, text and categories for all products. Information is provided according to five "bands", and manufacturers may label products with either a British Coatings Federation text box on the back panel, or a graphical globe symbol, the latter subject to licensing from B&Q plc. Both styles of labels contain the same text, and warn that VOCs contribute to atmospheric pollution.
| Name | Range |
|---|---|
| Minimal | 0% ≤ VOC content ≤ 0.29% |
| Low | 0.3% ≤ VOC content ≤ 7.99% |
| Medium | 8% ≤ VOC content ≤ 24.99% |
| High | 25% ≤ VOC content ≤ 50% |
| Very High | 50% < VOC content |
