If you did home renovation or discussed air quality recently, you might’ve heard the term “VOC.”
Put simply, VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) are chemicals that easily evaporate into the air at room temperature.
They are found in many household products like paints, cleaning products, adhesives, or even furniture. And here’s the crucial part—they can be quite harmful.
Therefore, it’s essential to know why products should be VOC-compliant. So let’s dive in.
Why are VOCs Bad?
Paints. Varnishes. Building materials. Vehicle exhausts. Solvents…
These are just some of the countless VOCs we emit into the environment. And while some VOCs are completely harmless, others can pose significant risk to health and environment.
To make matters worse, VOC concentration can be two to five times higher indoors than outdoors. After certain activities, such as paint jobs—it can be 1000 times higher as per US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Now think about how many hours you spend at home. Even if you’re not working remotely—it’s where you spend at least two thirds of your daily activities, including sleeping.
And according to US Lung Association, spending time in a VOC-contaminated environment can pose a variety of health risks—from difficulty breathing to much more severe conditions.
VOCs can also contribute to air pollution by participating in photochemical reactions that produce ground-level ozone and smog, says EPA.
Knowing all this, the term “VOC-compliant” gains even more significance, right?
What does VOC-Compliant Mean?
VOC-compliant means that a product meets the maximum allowable VOCs limits as established by the country’s governing body.
Why do we need VOC-compliant products? Because products often need to contain VOCs. However, they can be formulated to meet these specific requirements.
To achieve this, manufacturers reformulate to reduce the total VOC while also keeping as much of the effect of the product as possible.
Here’s an example: A lower VOC paint can be less durable, more expensive, and miss particular colorants. But it can mean better health and less environmental impact.
Therefore, we can say VOC-compliant products minimize their environmental impact while still performing effectively.
What are VOC Standards?
According to EPA, No federally enforceable standards have been set for VOCs in non-industrial settings.
However, The primary federal regulation for VOCs is found in Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)—specifically Part 59, which outlines the National Volatile Organic Compound Emission Standards for Consumer and Commercial Products.
This regulation categorizes products based on their application, including:
- Aerosol coatings
- Architectural coatings
- Automobile refinish coatings
- Consumer products
The EPA sets specific VOC content limits for different categories of products to mitigate their contribution to air pollution and ground-level ozone formation.
For example, the general VOC content limit for certain coatings is often around 450 grams per liter (g/l), but this can vary significantly based on product type and state regulations.
Some states such as California have set tighter regulations on VOCs where limits can be as low as 100 g/l for specific coatings.
But overall, the best thing you can do is try to get VOC-compliant products and work on reducing VOCs in your household.
How to Know If a Product Is VOC Compliant?
To determine if a product is VOC compliant, you can follow several steps and check various resources that provide information about the product's VOC content.
Here’s how to go about it:
Of course, there’s more. You can contact and ask manufacturers directly about the product’s VOC compliance, do your research online.
In any case, you can definitely check the product’s VOC compliance. And that’s the most important.
What You Can Do to Reduce VOCs In Your Household?
Even when using VOC-compliant products, you can have a high amount of VOCs in your home.
Sometimes, you can eliminate VOC and alleviate symptoms by simply minimizing exposure and increasing air ventilation and circulation in your home. In other words, just open your windows.
However, for areas with limited ventilation such as basements, or homes that are VOC-heavy, you might want to consider adding an air purification system.
An air purifier with a charcoal-based activated carbon filter in particular—like Rabbit Air’s BioGS as it may help absorb harmful particles and reduce the VOCs level in your home.
Keep the Air VOC-less
By choosing VOC-compliant products, you can help mitigate a lot of health risks while still being able to renovate or maintain your home up to standards.
Remember to always check labels, review safety data sheets, and look for recognized certifications to ensure you’re making informed choices.
Additionally, improving ventilation can help reduce VOCs. But if not, you might consider an air purifier like Rabbit Air that can further reduce VOC levels in your living space.
