What are VOCs and how to reduce the health risks of VOCs?

Unfortunately, there is no international standard or body regarding the classification of VOCs. VOCs or Volatile Organic Compounds are carbon-containing compounds that are easily vaporized or released. Volatile organic compounds occur naturally in nature and are often perceived as odors.

Commonly occurring VOCs include formaldehyde, benzene, methylene chloride, perchloroethylene, methyl tert-butyl ether (MBTE), methane (often classified separately), chlorofluorocarbons, styrene, and limonene.

The problem is that our modern industrial age has become addicted to VOCs and we have only recently realized the inherent health risks of VOCs. Volatile organic compounds are found in a wide range of everyday products: in paints, adhesives, fuels, solvents, coatings, permanent markers, nail polish removers, dry cleaning agents, raw materials, coolants, wood preservatives, aerosol sprays, disinfectants, repellents of moths, air fresheners, photocopiers and strippers. Basically, any household product with a strong “chemical” smell probably contains VOCs.

It’s a long list of products that contain VOCs. Some manufacturers are now labeling their products “low VOC” or “no VOC.” As I mentioned in my opening paragraph, there is no international standard for defining VOCs, so something labeled ‘low VOC’ could be high in other VOCs not recognized under the VOC guidelines the manufacturer uses.

A common example of the detrimental health effects of VOCs is found in the very real problem called “sick building syndrome.” Office workers are subjected to a sealed environment filled with VOC emitting elements. They get sore throats, respiratory problems, nausea and dizziness. VOC exposure can cause asthma and allergies. Exposure to certain VOCs has been shown to cause cancer in animals and is widely suspected to cause the same in people. Benzene, the VOC found in cigarette smoke, is definitely carcinogenic.

The US Environmental Protection Agency sets out some simple guidelines to reduce the health risks that VOCs pose to people. Much of this is common sense and not difficult to follow.

• Ventilate your house properly. The biggest problem is the buildup of VOCs per billion parts indoors. Open your windows, try not to seal your house from outside air. Mixing indoor and outdoor air dilutes VOC concentrations.
• Read the manufacturer’s recommendations on storage. If you have an open paint can, leave it in the garage, away from where people live.
• If you have old paints, varnishes, paint strippers, photocopier ink, nail polish remover that you don’t use, dispose of them responsibly.
• Do not bulk buy products that contain VOCs. You may save a few pennies, but you are bringing “poisons” into your living spaces, which need to be minimized.
• And finally, keep exposure to benzene, methylene chloride, and perchlorethylene to a minimum. These are some of the worst VOCs in terms of human health problems. Benzene is present in cigarette smoke, stored fuels, and automobile emissions; methylene chloride is present in strippers, spray paints, and adhesive removers and; Perchlorethylene is present in freshly dry-cleaned materials and fabrics.

Another VOC to watch out for is formaldehyde which is often found in furniture adhesives and varnishes. Formaldehyde has been shown to cause allergies in children and respiratory problems in adults. Today there are some glues and adhesives, such as Healthy Bond Adhesive and Sealant, that do not contain formaldehyde. Fuse woven bamboo flooring by Bamboo Mountain uses a formaldehyde-free adhesive in the woven bamboo manufacturing process. Colombia Forest Products uses a soy-based adhesive to make its plywood that is free of formaldehyde. They use PureBond technology that synthetically mimics the byssal threads that mussels use to adhere to rocks. Another great product is Eimann Fabrik VOC Free Engine Degreaser which cleans dirt, grime, grease and oil from your engine without emitting any toxic VOCs.

Finally, the best advice to give is to live a little more ‘organically’. Open your windows instead of using air conditioning. Give up air fresheners and purifiers. Nails look good without polish; stop using aerosol products and; cut down on your dry cleaning. In short, all those things that hit your house with a chemical smell are just bad for you and very bad for your kids. Be especially careful with cheap furniture and plywood products.