Indoor VOC's - a Building Occupant's Guide to Indoor Air Quality InspectAPedia® -
Indoor air quality & health effects of exposure to common indoor Volatile Organic Compounds - VOCs
Common sources of VOCs indoors, benzene, methylene chloride, and Perchlorethylene as indoor air contaminants
Guide to reducing the level of exposure to VOCs in indoor air
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This article explains steps to improve indoor air quality in homes, focused on the volatile organic compounds or VOCs often found indoors. These include MVOCs from mold, benzene, methylene chloride, and perchloroethylene among others. This article includes excerpts or adaptations from Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction, by Steven Bliss, courtesy of Wiley & Sons.
Our page top photo shows a gas detector tube test for Perchlorethylene. Odors from paints and low-VOC or zero-VOC paints are also discussed at ODOR DIAGNOSIS CHECKLIST.
Many organic compounds are used during construction.
Others are used daily in cleaning fluids, cosmetics, and
hobby materials. These include the solvents in paints,
caulk, and adhesives, as well as the ingredients in hair sprays, carpet and oven cleaners, floor and furniture polishes,
and pesticides.
In its TEAM study, the Environmental
Protection Agency found that the average level of 12 common
organic pollutants was two to five times higher in
houses than outdoors, although still 1,000 times less than
short-term occupational limits.
The health effects of high
concentrations of VOCs vary from the highly toxic and
carcinogenic to no known effect. The impact of long-term
exposure at the levels found in households, however, is
less well understood.
Health Effects. As with most pollutants, the health effect
depends on individual sensitivities as well as the level
and duration of the exposure.
Common acute symptoms
from moderate levels of exposure to VOCs indoors include eye and respiratory
irritation, headaches, dizziness, visual disorders, and
memory impairment.
Effects on the nervous system from exposure to VOCs are
similar to those from alcohol consumption.
Common
chemicals that should be avoided include:
Benzene in indoor air. Benzene is a known human carcinogen. The
main indoor sources are tobacco smoke, stored gasoline,
and auto emissions from attached garages. It is
also found in some adhesives, paints, furniture waxes,
and detergents. Acute inhalation exposure may cause
drowsiness, dizziness, and headaches, as well as eye,
skin, and respiratory tract irritation, and, at high
levels, unconsciousness. We discuss testing for benzene indoors at TOXIC GAS TEST PROCEDURES.
Methylene chloride in indoor air. This chemical has a mild sweet odor. In consumer products it is found in paint strippers, adhesive
removers, and aerosol spray paints, methylene
chloride is known to cause cancer in animals and is
considered by the EPA to be a probable human
carcinogen.
Also, methylene chloride is converted to carbon monoxide
in the body and can cause symptoms associated with
CO (carbon monoxide) poisoning including decreased
visual, auditory, and motor functions. Avoid use if
possible or use outdoors.
"Exposure to methylene chloride occurs mostly from breathing contaminated air, but may also occur through skin contact or by drinking contaminated water. Breathing in large amounts of methylene chloride can damage the central nervous system. Contact of eyes or skin with methylene chloride can result in burns. Methylene chloride has been found in at least 882 of 1,569 National Priorities List sites identified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)." -- ATSDR.
Perchloroethylene in indoor air. This is the most widely used dry-
cleaning chemical. The most common effects of moderate
overexposure to perchloroethylene are irritation
of the eyes, nose, throat, or skin, and nervous system
effects, such as dizziness, headaches, and nausea.
If
dry-cleaned clothes have a strong odor, do not accept
them until they have been properly dried. At Gas Toxicity Levels we discuss the human exposure limits for perchloroethylene.
Paints and coatings, adhesives,
sealants, and a variety of other building products and materials
produce high concentrations of VOCs when they
are first applied or installed.
At these levels, even nonsensitive
individuals might experience symptoms such as eye
and respiratory irritation. To avoid problems, new homes
should be allowed to air out for at least a couple of weeks
before being occupied, particularly if the weather is too
cold to leave windows open. In cold weather, the home
should be heated with ventilation systems run at full speed
to help drive off the volatile compounds.
To limit exposure to household VOCs, the best strategy
is to find alternative products. When that is not possible,
carefully follow directions, use in well-ventilated areas,
and do not store partially used containers in living spaces.
Steven Bliss served as editorial director and co-publisher of The Journal of Light Construction for 16 years and previously as building technology editor for Progressive Builder and Solar Age magazines. He worked in the building trades as a carpenter and design/build contractor for more than ten years and holds a masters degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Excerpts from his recent book, Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction, Wiley (November 18, 2005) ISBN-10: 0471648361, ISBN-13: 978-0471648369, appear throughout this website, with permission and courtesy of Wiley & Sons. Best Practices Guide is available from the publisher, J. Wiley & Sons, and also at Amazon.com.
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ATSDR - the US CDC information on methylene chloride: see atsdr.cdc.gov/tfacts14.html
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