VOCs or volatile organic compounds have environmental effects, but where do they come from? How do they negatively affect the environment? In this guide, we’ll explain how these happen – and what you can do to prevent them from impacting the environment.
You can find VOCs in almost every household cleaning product out there, as well as from paint and wax. However, the biggest contributors would be factory emissions and smoke from motor vehicles. While we need these to improve our quality of life, little do we know their negative effects on Mother Nature.
We know how much you care about your loved ones – and soon, if we don’t take care of the environment, we might all suffer the consequences. Poor air quality is one of the threats to our health and so we need to know where pollutants, such as VOCs, come from – and how we can get rid of them.
What makes VOC emissions dangerous?
If you are exposed periodically to spaces that emit VOCs, such as newly-painted walls (with VOC-emitting paint), you could feel the effects immediately and may experience any of the following:
- Nausea
- Headaches
- Eye irritation
- Throat irritation
Moreover, some studies also found out that VOCs may have carcinogens – which means they increase the chance of you (or someone you love) getting cancer. Additionally, VOC vapors may also damage your internal organs, such as the kidneys and liver.
If you want to read more about how bad air quality is harmful to humans, plants, and animals, we previously wrote 10 reasons why air pollution is a problem.
How do VOC emissions impact the environment?
Now that we’ve covered the health effects of VOCs, it’s time to discuss how it affects the environment. Did you know that VOCs, when released into the air, help in creating ground-level ozone? That’s because VOCs are reactive not just to sunlight but also to nitrogen oxide.
Ground-level ozone, also known as tropospheric ozone, becomes an air pollutant that can not only affect humans but also plants and animals. Plants have their leaf pores blocked by ground-level ozone, making it difficult for them to grow. This, in turn, affects human and animal consumption.
Furthermore, some VOCs can add to climate change because of their role as greenhouse gases. Of course, we all know how bad climate change is. It not only causes widespread drought (which reduces our farmers’ crops and our food) but also affects marine life (e.g., the fish we eat) with the rising sea temperatures.
What can we do to reduce VOC emissions?
It’s never too late to save our environment (and get clean and quality air at the same time). The best way to help reduce VOCs in the air is to do the following:
Choose your cleaning products and paint
If you can, avoid or lessen the use of chemical products that potentially contain VOCs. Fortunately, many companies nowadays are staying away from creating products that are too harsh and some are even releasing odorless paint.
Generally, if possible, you should stay away from strong chemical products, such as those with bleach, as they have huge VOC emissions. This is why most people recommend home remedies such as vinegar and baking soda when it comes to cleaning their homes.
Use an air purifier
While you might have heard air purifiers clean the air from dust, you might be wondering: why use an air purifier for reducing VOC emissions? The answer is that air filters, specifically activated carbon, can clean up VOCs from the air, such as formaldehyde (usually from heaters and fueled appliances).
With that said, you should choose an air purifier that not only has HEPA filters for dust but also activated carbon, which not only works for VOCs but also for bad smells like leftover pizza and tobacco smoke. Most of all, consider the size of your room before buying an air purifier for the best efficiency.
Plan your trips
As mentioned earlier, VOC emissions also come from motorized vehicles. If you want to do your part in reducing smoke emissions on the highway, it’s best to plan your trips properly to avoid going to the grocery (and other places) many times and unnecessarily.
Some cities and towns also practice carpooling, which not only saves your budget (and that of others) but also reduces the number of vehicles on the road, thereby lessening the VOCs emitted into the air. You can also walk or use your bike to your destination if it is near enough.
Support responsible companies
A company’s success nowadays is largely based on how consumers view their eco-friendliness. Therefore, this is a call for companies to be more responsible with their environmental footprint. Customers are keener to support a company that has little emissions from their factories.
Another way that companies can be more environmentally-aware is to release products that have little to no VOC emissions, such as odorless paint, as well as eco-friendly cleaning and home products. Little by little, they can help create and shape a future with fewer VOC emissions.
FAQs
How do activated carbon filters remove VOCs from the air?
VOCs are removed by an activated carbon filter through its carbon substrate pores. Chlorine, formaldehyde, and other common VOCs are trapped there while air passes through your air purifier. With this, you not only get dust-free air but also a non-toxic and clean-smelling indoor space.
Can HEPA filters remove VOCs from the air?
Unfortunately, no – HEPA filters from air purifiers only clean dust and small particles. This is why you will need an air purifier that has an activated carbon filter to remove VOCs from the air. Either way, most units nowadays will have both of these filters so you get the best of both worlds to maintain quality air.
What else can reduce VOCs at home?
Plants can help clean the air. After all, they are our natural filters so aside from air purifiers, adding some plants in your home can help you breathe easier. Improved home ventilation (airflow) can also contribute to fewer VOCs being stuck in your indoor space.
Conclusion
Volatile organic compounds truly have environmental effects, which, in the long run, will make humans and all living creatures suffer. Knowing how VOC emissions greatly affect not only the air you breathe but also the environment we live in is important because our future depends on it.
By choosing your products carefully, using an air purifier to remove VOCs from your home (or indoor setting), and planning grocery trips wisely, we can do our little yet significant parts together so that the world can heal as one from the toxic effects of VOCs.
