VOC is the English abbreviation of volatile organic compounds (volatile organic com-pounds). VOC mainly includes alkanes, alkenes, aromatics, aldehydes or ketones, etc., which have special irritating odors, and some of them have been listed as carcinogens, such as vinyl chloride, benzene, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, etc., and some VOCs are also harmful to the ozone layer. role, such as chlorofluorocarbons and hydrochlorofluorocarbons.
The main sources of VOC are as follows:
(1) Organic solvents: such as paints, aqueous coatings, adhesives, cosmetics, detergents, caulking glue, etc.;
(2) Building materials: such as wood-based panels, foam insulation materials, plastic panels, etc.;
(3) Interior decoration materials: such as wallpaper, other decorations, etc.;
(4) Fiber materials: such as carpets, tapestries and chemical fiber curtains;
(5) Office supplies: such as ink, copiers, printers, etc.;
(6) Improper design and use of ventilation systems, etc.;
(7) Incomplete combustion of domestic fuel and tobacco leaves;
(8) Human excrement;
(9) Industrial waste gas, vehicle exhaust, photochemical smog, etc. from outside.
VOCs are one of the common air pollutants in non-industrial environments. More than 20 of them are carcinogens or mutagens. Because of their low individual concentrations but many types, they are collectively called VOCs, and the total amount (that is, total volatile organic compounds) is represented by TVOC. When the concentration of TVOC is too high, it is easy to cause acute poisoning. In mild cases, headache, dizziness, cough, nausea, and vomiting may occur; in severe cases, liver poisoning may occur, and even coma soon, and some may be life-threatening. Foreign medical research has proved that pregnant women living under the influence of VOC environment have a much higher probability of fetal malformation than ordinary people, and may affect the child's future intellectual development (see Table 1, Table 2).
