Volatile Organic Compounds

{
  "id": "MLC-T-ENV-029824",
  "term": "Volatile Organic Compounds",
  "field": "Environment",
  "definition": "1. Any organic compound that participates in atmospheric photochemical reactions except those designated by EPA as having negligible photochemical reactivity.\n\n2. Any organic compound which evaporates readily to the atmosphere. VOCs contribute significantly to photochemical smog production and certain health problems.\n\n3. A general term for organic compounds capable of a high degree of vaporization at standard temperature (20 o C) and pressure (1 atm).\n\n4. VOCs are molecules containing carbon and varying proportions of other elements such as hydrogen, oxygen, fluorine, and chlorine. They are the \"precursors\" that react with nitrogen oxides in sunlight and heat to form ground-level ozone.\n\n5. Emitted as gases from certain solids or liquids, VOCs include substances-some of which may have short- and long-term adverse health effects-such as benzene, toluene, methylene chloride, and methyl chloroform.\n\n6. Organic chemical compounds, such as Benzene, that have a low vapor pressure and therefore will readily volatilize into the surrounding air in the form of a vapor. This property of VOCs causes them to have a comparatively high inhalation and dermal exposure potential, as well as a tendency to affect the air quality of a region.\n\n7. Organic (carbon-based) compounds that evaporate at room temperature.\n\n8. Organic chemicals all contain the element carbon (C); organic chemicals are the basic chemicals found in living things and in products derived from living things, such as coal, petroleum and refined petroleum products. Many of the organic chemicals we use do not occur in Nature, but were synthesized by chemists in laboratories. Volatile chemicals produce vapors readily; at room temperature and normal atmospheric pressure, vapors escape easily from volatile liquid chemicals. Volatile organic chemicals include gasoline, industrial chemicals such as benzene, solvents such as toluene and xylene, and tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene, the principal dry cleaning solvent). Many volatile organic chemicals are also hazardous air pollutants; for example, benzene causes cancer.\n\n9. Organic compounds that vaporize (become a gas) at room temperature. VOC are the leading cause of ground-level ozone (air pollution, also known as \"smog\"). Common sources which may emit VOC into the air include housekeeping and maintenance products; paints, coatings, and inks; and building and furnishing materials. In sufficient quantities, VOC can cause eye, nose, and throat irritations, headaches, dizziness, visual disorders, memory impairment; some are known to cause cancer in animals; some are suspected of causing, or are known to cause, cancer in humans.\n\n10. Compounds that vaporize (become a gas) at room temperature. Common sources which may emit VOCs into indoor air include housekeeping and maintenance products, and building and furnishing materials. In sufficient quantities, VOCs can cause eye, nose, and throat irritations, headaches, dizziness, visual disorders, memory impairment; some are known to cause cancer in animals; some are suspected of causing, or are known to cause, cancer in humans. At present, not much is known about what health effects occur at the levels of VOCs typically found in public and commercial buildings.\n\n11. Volatile organic compounds are emitted as gases from certain solids or liquids. VOCs include a variety of chemicals, some of which may have short- and long-term adverse health effects. Concentrations of many VOCs are consistently higher indoors (up to 10 times higher) than outdoors. VOCs are emitted by a wide array of products numbering in the thousands. Examples include: paints and lacquers, paint strippers, cleaning supplies, pesticides, building materials and furnishings, office equipment such as copiers and printers, correction fluids and carbonless copy paper, graphics and craft materials including glues and adhesives, permanent markers and photographic solutions.\n\n12. Organic compounds are chemicals composed of carbon. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produce vapors readily. At room temperature and normal atmospheric pressure, vapors escape easily from volatile liquid chemicals. Volatile organic compounds include a variety of chemicals such as gasoline, benzene, toluene, xylene, formaldehyde, tetrachloroethylene, and perchloroethylene.\n\n13. Organic compounds that evaporate readily into the atmosphere at normal temperatures. VOCs contribute significantly to photochemical smog production and certain health problems. See non-methane volatile organic compounds.\n\n14. Compounds that evaporate from the many housekeeping, maintenance, and building products made with organic chemicals. These compounds are released from products that are being used and that are in storage. In sufficient quantities, VOCs can cause eye, nose, and throat irritations, headaches, dizziness, visual disorders, memory impairment; some are known to cause cancer in animals; some are suspected of causing, or are known to cause, cancer in humans. At present, not much is known about what health effects occur at the levels of VOCs typically found in public and commercial buildings. VAPOR a substance in gas form, particularly one near equilibrium with its condensed phase, which does not obey the ideal gas laws; in general, any gas below its critical temperature.\n\n15. Organic chemicals that have a high vapor pressure (i.e. extremely low boiling point) at ordinary room temperature. VOCs include human-made and naturally occurring chemical compounds. Some VOCs are dangerous to human health or cause harm to the environment. Harmful VOCs typically are not acutely toxic, but continued exposure to them may have long-term health effects.\n\n16. Chemicals emitted as gases from certain solids or liquids. VOCs are known for being common indoor air pollutants. EPA regulates VOCs in the outdoor air because some cause adverse health effects and because they can react with other pollutants to form ozone and secondary air toxics. Cars and trucks, some industries, and even plants and trees emit VOCs.",
  "abbreviation": "VOC",
  "synonyms": [
    "VOCs"
  ],
  "subject": "Air",
  "references": [
    "Terms of Env",
    "Environmental Issues Terms & Acronyms; Pesticides Glossary",
    "Underground Storage Tank Sites Guide Glossary",
    "Heat Island Effect Glossary",
    "Greening EPA Glossary",
    "Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP) Glossary",
    "Superfund for Students and Teachers Glossary",
    "Air Permitting Terms",
    "Improving Air Quality in Your Community Glossary",
    "Indoor Air Quality Glossary",
    "School Siting Guidelines Glossary",
    "Brownfields Profile Glossary",
    "Greenhouse Gas Emissions",
    "I-BEAM Glossary of Terms",
    "CMAQ Glossary",
    "AirToxScreen Glossary of Terms"
  ],
  "url": "https://mlchart.com/terminology/environment/volatile-organic-compounds/"
}