WHERE DO VOCS IN THE HOME COME FROM?
With VOC testing in Los Angeles county (LA, Ventura) we have identified many products in our homes that release or “off-gas” VOCs. Some examples of sources of VOCs are: Building Materials Carpets and adhesives Composite wood products Paints Sealing caulks Solvents Upholstery fabrics Varnishes Vinyl Floors Home and Personal Care Products Air fresheners Air cleaners that produce ozone Cleaning and disinfecting chemicals Cosmetics Fuel oil, gasoline Moth balls Vehicle exhaust running a car in an attached garage Behaviors Cooking Drycleaning Hobbies Newspapers Non-electric space heaters Photocopiers Smoking Stored paints and chemicals Wood burning stoves Studies have shown that the level of VOCs indoors is generally two to five times higher than the level of VOC’s outdoors. VOC concentrations in indoor air depend on many factors, including the: Amount of VOCs in a product; Rate at which the VOCs are released; Volume of the air in the room/building; Ventilation rate or the area; and Outdoor
