While the word ‘organic’ is thought to interchangeable with ‘healthy,’ what it means is ‘derived from living matter.’ And when two or more organic substances are combined, they create an organic compound. Volatile Organic Compounds or VOCs are organic compounds that evaporate and release vapor into the air. While there are safe, there are also harmful VOCs. Both those commonly created by the plant world and those that are human-made.
Search the term ‘all-natural’ on Google, and the most popular results are make-up, shampoo, deodorant, sunscreen, even peanut butter. Why? Because our population has come to realize that added chemicals and pesticides in the products we use can be dangerous, even toxic. For example, the smell of bacon frying for breakfast on Sunday morning is a safe VOC.
What’s not under debate, however, is that there are also dangerous and harmful VOCs commonly found in many household products. Some of these include:
- Paints & paint strippers
- Wood preservatives (shellacs & varnishes)
- Cleaners & Disinfectants
- Glues & solvents
- Disinfectants & cleansers
- Other floor coating manufacturer’s products
Ironically, even air fresheners are known to release hazardous VOCs.
Another area where to find hazardous VOCs is in the materials commonly used in the building industry. Until recently, many flooring products contained dangerous VOCs.
In 1985, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) began regulating and limiting VOCs found in many building materials. For the most part, they didn’t eliminate VOCs. They just established what a safe amount was. These amounts and how reliable they are or aren’t are up for debate as well.
