{"id":4202,"date":"2020-03-10T10:01:57","date_gmt":"2020-03-10T14:01:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.airmd.com\/?p=4202"},"modified":"2020-03-10T10:01:57","modified_gmt":"2020-03-10T14:01:57","slug":"invisible-threat-indoor-air-quality-part-ii-vocs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/airmd.com\/invisible-threat-indoor-air-quality-part-ii-vocs\/","title":{"rendered":"An Invisible Threat to Indoor Air Quality: Part II – VOCs"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"An<\/p>\n

These days, perhaps more than ever, indoor air quality testing is proving to be a priority for many families. In order to protect ourselves and our communities from the spread of Covid-19, we are all spending more time at home. But there are threats inside your home as well. <\/p>\n

In fact, according to the EPA<\/a> (the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency), \u201cstudies of human exposure to air pollutants indicate that indoor levels of pollutants may be two to five times \u2014 and occasionally more than 100 times \u2014 higher than outdoor levels.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

You won\u2019t be able to detect most of the pollutants that may be contaminating your home. At AirMD, an environmental testing company, some of the biggest threats that we test the indoor air quality of your home for are completely invisible airborne gases.<\/p>\n

Formaldehyde<\/a>, as we explained in a previous post, is one of four types of airborne gasses that the professionals who handle indoor air quality testing at AirMD screen for. The other three are:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Volatile Organic Compounds<\/li>\n
  2. Carbon Monoxide<\/li>\n
  3. Carbon Dioxide<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    VOC Testing<\/h3>\n

    Among the most important things that AirMD\u2019s trained professionals screen for when conducting an indoor air quality test are volatile organic compounds<\/a>, more commonly referred to as VOCs. <\/p>\n

    You may be surprised \u2013 unpleasantly so \u2013 by the common household items that could be releasing unhealthy airborne gasses into your home and negatively impacting the quality of the indoor air your family is breathing. <\/p>\n

    The American Lung Association<\/a> has identified a long list of building materials, household cleaners, personal care products and common activities that can release harmful VOCs inside your home. Some things \u2013 like pesticides, fuel oil, gasoline and tobacco smoke \u2013 seem obvious. But their list also includes: <\/p>\n