VOCs

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Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are common petroleum-based chemicals that are found in elevated levels at most houses.

There are thousands of possible VOCs, offgassing from all sorts of household and products.

Because petroleum comes from decaying organic matter, it is similar in chemical make-up to our bodies. Hence, it is difficult for the body both to recognize and to eliminate petroleum-based chemicals. This is unfortunate, because these chemicals are everywhere - in household products, pesticides, synthetic fragrances, vehicle exhaust, paint, polyurethane, glues, plastics, pressed wood products, etc. Formaldehyde is a common VOC.

The typical Enviro Health screening inspection does not involve laboratory fees - but laboratory analysis is required for VOC evaluations.

Rather than spend money on air testing, why not get rid of sources?!

During a standard environmental inspection, Enviro Health takes a history of the home to help reveal possible sources of VOC-offgassing, conducts a visual check for substances likely to be giving off formaldehyde and other VOCs, and makes recommendations for reducing VOC levels.

Often doing just this much provides enough information for the client to resolve VOC-related indoor air quality issues. However, if further information is required, laboratory analyses are available for an additional fee.

Let's look briefly at formaldehyde, because it is not only so common, but it has made so many people sick.

What is formaldehyde?

Formaldehyde is a sensitizing substance that is found in many common building materials, such as particleboard, pressed wood, and interior plywood. It can also be found in caulks and adhesives, in paint, in furniture and permanent pressed fabrics, floor coverings, and in many cleaning products, etc. It is even found as a preservative in vaccination serums.

Many people are sensitive to formaldehyde and when exposed may experience headaches, numbness or tingling of extremities, brain fog and inability to concentrate, anxiety, depression, etc.

When I was more chemically sensitive, I would get a bad three-day headache if I went into a furniture store, was exposed to new carpets, came in contact with strong cleaning solutions, used a copier in an enclosed area, used a liquid typewriter correction product, sat next to someone with perfume or after-shave lotion, or smelled the off-gassing of mold.

Dollar stores are still off-limits to me, because they are so toxic with plastics, household cleaners, and laundry products. Now, I might get a slight headache, but I will feel sick, like I'm coming down with the flu - but this feeling passes.

Formaldehyde is a sensitizing substance. That is, if you become sensitive to formaldehyde, it can lower your threshold of sensitivity to other chemicals. What might not have bothered you before your formaldehyde exposure, now bothers you.

Formaldehyde is one of the chemicals highlighted in the book, Toxic Deception. According to the book, attempts to ban formaldehyde or regulate levels have been lobbied against by the formaldehyde industry.

Formaldehyde has an estimated half life of one year. That is, if ventilation is good, every year that goes by means that the formaldehyde is half as strong as the year before. After ten years or so, levels should be quite low.

Many people experience health symptoms when renovating a home or when moving into a brand new house where formaldehyde levels may be elevated. Formaldehyde levels can be especially high in new mobile homes.

Formaldehyde and other gaseous VOCs are also given off by molds. If your home is moldy, you may be suffering more from these off-gassed waste products of molds than from mold spores drifting around in the air.

See the Products section, Air Testing, for information on formaldehyde test kits.

More on Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)

Formaldehyde is just one example of a VOC. There are many more examples which can affect your health adversely. Many solvents (substances that other chemicals are dissolved in) offgas VOCs.

Products that commonly offgas numerous types of VOCs include caulks and adhesives, perfumes, after-shave lotions, toiletries, shampoos, household cleaners, furniture and furniture polishes, air fresheners, products with synthetic fragrances, fabrics, carpets, foams, plastics, and pesticides.

See the Products section, Air Testing, for information on VOC tests.

An excellent place for self help on reducing VOCs is to follow the recommendations in Tips for a Healthier Home in the Free Info section.

Unknown Odors

Many times I receive calls from people who feel that there is "something" in their home or office that is bothering them, but they don't know what it is. Or, they may smell some strange smell, but no one else seems to smell it, or at least, no one can make a tentative identification of what it is or where it could be coming from.

Identifying an unknown odor can be one of the hardest challenges in environmental evaluations.

	There are so many thousands of gaseous chemicals, not all of which even have odors.
	Laboratory testing can be costly, because different techniques are needed for different types of chemicals.
	Further, many times two or more tests are needed for comparison purposes, multiplying the cost.
	Odors may be intermittent, or the noxious chemical may have no odor.
	The troublesome chemical may result from two or more other chemicals reacting, such as chlorine and ammonia making a compound similar to mustard gas.
	Lab analysis results in a list of chemicals, but then you do not know where the chemicals come from. To hear "from plastics or furnishings or solvents" might not be too helpful.
	In a home, a better approach might be to remove all suspect products first and then see if testing is still necessary.
	Improving air exchange in the house or office is also part of the cure.

On the other hand, testing can be useful in some situations:

	You are on a "fishing expedition" and just want to see what you might learn from a laboratory analysis. For example, in one recent test for chemicals, the biggest pollutant turned out to be car exhaust from cars stored in the attached garage.
	You want to compare two similar areas, where you have symptoms in one but not in the other. One example would be to test the kitchen for formaldehyde levels where new cabinets (containing particleboard) have been installed. Then test a room in another area of the house for comparison. This type of testing is frequently done in offices, where employees in one room complain of symptoms but those in another similar room do not.
	If you are having blood tests for chemicals, then there may be a correlation between chemicals present at home and chemicals found in your blood. This will provide guidance to your environmental physician.
	Lab testing may be useful when you know what you are looking for and want documentation. For example, one individual was sensitive to the cleaning solution used in the store adjacent to her office. Air sampling was done in her office in hopes of proving that the same chemicals found in the cleaning solution were migrating into her office. The lab test results matched the chemicals in the cleaning solution, as listed in the MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) provided by the cleaning solution company. She was able to use the test results to obtain the cooperation of her neighbors in changing their cleaning product. She had to take things to this point before they would listen.

Other ways of dealing with VOCs and odors:

	Remove the source, assuming you know what it is.
	Dilute offgassing from the source by improving ventilation.
	If you can't remove the source, maybe you can seal it. Various environmentally oriented companies offer sealant products - some of which may not be too well tolerated by chemically sensitive persons. One of the first places to call is Carmen at Palmer Industries, 800-545-7383. Test each product for personal sensitivities prior to using it. One client gave up on trying to make a borderline apartment livable by using "healthy" sealants and coatings. With each attempt, the apartment got worse, and she finally just gave it up - hundreds of dollars later.
	Sealing - such as with kitchen cabinets - can also be attempted by covering the cabinet with aluminum foil. Look for a less toxic tape from an environmentally oriented company. Be aware that aluminum foil will serve as an antenna for electromagnetic fields and may need to be grounded if you are sensitive to radiation.
	Use healthier products in your home or office. There are numerous catalogs of products for chemically sensitive persons.
	Be wary of ozonators. Some people use ozonators for odor control. I have had several clients tell me that ozonating an area resulted in new lingering odors that were very difficult to get rid of. It is possible that the ozone reacted with chemicals already present and formed new chemicals, including formaldehyde and other aldehydes. One client bought an ozonator to try to eliminate "new car odor." It didn't work. On the other hand, there is anecdotal material suggesting some individuals feel that odors have been reduced by ozone, including odors from mold. Because ozone is drying to lung tissue, it should never be used when individuals (or pets or plants) are in the house. Oil paintings and leather should also be removed prior to ozonation. Air out your home before reentering it after using an ozonator. For additional information on ozonators, call the Environmental Protection Agency's Indoor Air Quality Clearinghouse, 800-438-4318, and request the publication on ozonators, #108345. See also FAQs.
	Be wary of air purifiers. It is questionable whether the expense justifies the results when it comes to odor control by air purifiers from limited feedback I have gotten. Carbon is good for adsorbing odors to some extent - but it may get saturated and then dump the odor back into the environment. Each chemical has its own rate of saturation. As a speaker said at the Tools for Schools conference I attended a couple of years ago, "The technology isn't there for odor removal." The source of this remark is unknown, as it was made in an informal gathering after a lecture. If you find any other technology that seems to work for you in odor alleviation, please let me know.

© 2001 May E. Dooley - Enviro Health Environmental Home Inspections
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Field operations: CT, MA, MD, NJ, NY, PA, VA, WV updated: April 12, 2002