Background:
As you are aware that furniture, interior, room fresheners, paint on wall, cosmetic products, deodorizers, mothballs, disinfectants and many more things around us contains Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC). Whether we are knowing it or not, but this is the fact and we all are exposed to it.
These VOC’s are act like slow poison for human, animals, environment and ecology. If these dissolved in ground water, becomes more dangerous as tit can’t be evaporate in air and makes water unsafe for the whole eco system.
Many of Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) test and studies say that concentration is higher indoor than outdoor. VOC’s are dangerous for health, if long continuous exposure to it.
Impact of Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) on Health and environment:
- Cancer
- Headache
- Respiratory illness
- Fatigue
- Skin and eye irritation
- VOCs become harmful after photochemical conversion to secondary pollutants.
- Ground ozone formation
- Detrimental effects on materials and buildings
What is TVOC Assessment:
There different type of TVOC’s (Total Volatile Organic Compound) in the environment, such as Formaldehyde, propane-1, 2-diol, Butanone oxime, Ethylhexanol, Hexoxyethanol, Acetaldehyde, Aldehydes, Alkylbenzenes, alpha- Pinene, Benzaldehyde, Benzyl alcohol, Butanal, Alkanes / isoalkanes, Dichloromethane, Diethylene glycol dimethyl ether, Diethylene glycol methyl ether, Diethylene glycol monobutyl Ether, Diethylene glycol monoethyl ether, ethyldiglycol, Diethyl phthalate, Dipropylene glycol monomethyl ether, Epsilon-Caprolactam, Acetic acid, Ethyl acetate, Ethyl benzene, Ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, Ethylene glycol hexyl ether, Ethylene glycol monobutyl ether acetate, Ethylene glycol monoethyl ether, 2-Ethoxyethanol, Furfural, Cresols, Limonene, Methyl isobutyl ketone, Nonanal, Xylene, Toluene, Benzene, Octanoic acid, Styrene, Toluene, Total xylenes, Acrylamide, Benzyl chloride, Carbon tetrachloride, Chlorobenzene, Chloroprene, Dimethyl sulphate, Epichlorohydrin, Ethyl acrylate, Ethylene glycol, Hexachlorobutadiene, Isophorone, Isopropanol, Methyl isobutyl ketone, Methyl methacrylate, Naphthalene, Nitrobenzene and many more in ambient air.
Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) analysis and Testing:
The best way to mitigate this danger is by collecting samples and analysis in the laboratory, with techniques such as HPLC, UV Spectrophotometer, Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) for quantitative analysis of VOCs in both gaseous and liquid matrices.
Awareness among Manufacturers:
The need of the hour is to apprise and spread awareness among manufacturers so that they could think about manufacturing products which are free from VOC and spreading the right message related to the safety of their products. This will certainly give them ample new business opportunities and trust of consumers.
How to read your lab results:
- <0.05 mg/m³: TVOC concentration is less than 0.05 mg/m³, which is well within the comfort level
- 0.05-0.30 mg/m³: TVOC are present but likely do not cause any discomfort
- 0.3-0.5 mg/m³: The smell might be detectable. TVOC level is acceptable and is typical for newly build buildings
- >0.5 mg/m³: TVOC concentration is above 0.5 mg/m³. The smell can become irritating. The source should be found and eliminated.
If you need more information or want to have Total Volatile Organic Compound (TVOC) Assessment / Monitoring, please let us know info@woodcert.com
