Indoor Volatile Organic Compounds, or VOCs, are carbon-containing organic chemicals present in indoor air (Introduction to VOCs and Health). They come from a large number of indoor sources including building materials, furnishings, consumer products, tobacco smoking, people and their activities, and indoor chemical reactions.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, “Concentrations of many VOCs are consistently higher indoors (up to ten times higher) than outdoors.”

Common Household VOCs

Acetone – furniture polish, wallpaper

Benzene – paint, carpeting

Butanal – stoves, cigarettes

Carbon Disulfide – chlorinated tap water

Dichlorobenzene – deodorizers

Ethanol – dish and laundry detergents

Formaldehyde – the most common indoor VOC, found in floor lacquers and certain plastics

Terpenes – soaps and detergents with fragrance

Toluene – paint

Products that contain VOCs:

• Paint (and other solvents)

• Wood Preservatives

• Aerosol Sprays

• Cleansers & Disinfectants

• Moth Repellents & Air Fresheners

• Stored Fuels & Automotive Products

• Hobby Supplies

• Dry Cleaned Clothing

• Cosmetics

• Pesticides

• Building Materials & Furnishings

• Upholstery and Foam

• Office Equipment (e.g., copiers and printers, correction fluids, and carbonless copy paper)

• Graphics & Craft Materials (including glues and adhesives, permanent markers and photographic solutions)

VOCs & Your Health

• allergies

• asthma

• respiratory health symptoms