What is “TVOC”?
TVOC (Total Volatile Organic Compound) was calculated from the GC/MS chromatogram (total ion count) by adding the areas of all peaks of C6 to C16 hydrocarbons with the retention time between 5 and 40 min. It should be noted that the TVOC value can be lower than the sum of all individual VOCs due to the difference in the calibration method. In this study, toluene was used as a calibration standard for quantification of TVOC, while their own authentic standards (pure compounds) were used for individual VOCs on the “Target” VOC list. Also, it is important to note that carbonyl compounds that are not identified with GC/MS, but quantified by HPLC, are not included in the TVOC value. For example, formaldehyde is not included in the TVOC value.
