Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC’s) are chemical compounds that easily evaporate (volatile) and contain one or more carbon atoms (organic). Formaldehyde, although not falling within the definition of VOC’s given by the World Health Organisation, is usually considered together with VOC’s and is of particular health concern.

The following lists some specific indoor sources of VOC’s

Formaldehyde - Tobacco smoke, chipboard, plywood, water-based paints, fabrics, household cleaners

p-Dichlorobenzene - Rooms deodorants

Styrene - Textiles, disinfectants

Benzyl chloride - Vinyl tiles

Benzene - Tobacco smoke

Tetrachloroethylene - Dry-cleaned clothes

Chloroform - Chlorinated water

1,1,1-Trichloroethane - Aerosol sprays, fabric protectors

Carbon tetrachloride - Industrial strength cleaners

Aromatic hydrocarbons(toluene, xylenes, ethylbenzene, trimethylbenzenes), aliphatic hydrocarbons - Paints, adhesives, combustion products

Terpenes (limonene, a-pinene) - Scented deodorisers, polishes, fabric softeners

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons - Combustion products

Acrylic acid esters, epichlorohydrin, alcohols - Monomers may escape from aerosols, window-cleaners, paints and thinners, cosmetics, adhesives

Ketones - Lacquers, varnishes, polish removers, adhesives

Ethers - Dyes, soaps, cosmetics

Esters - Flavours and perfumes

From IEH (1996)

VOC’s have several unique characteristics. They tend to escape into the air as fugitive chemicals. Being lipid or fat soluble, they have an affinity for the lipid tissues of the body. The brain is a prime target because of its high lipid content and rich blood supply. Cell membranes, being largely made up of lipids are also subject to attack.

There are many potential indoor sources of exposure to airborne volatile organic compounds (VOC's). These sources include consumer products used for personal care, cleaning, deodorizing, pest management and building and office work.

Recently the EPA (the Environmental Protection Agency in the USA) found that indoor air contains on average between 2 and 5 times more pollution than outdoor air! And the Consumer Product Safety Commission found that outdoor air contained on average less than 10 VOC's whereas the indoor air in the test homes contained as many as 150! Many of these VOC's were traced to domestic cleaning products and formaldehyde is a VOC that is widely used to manufacture numerous household products.

As well as the acute effects of the chemicals found in cleaning products, they also cause chronic effects which are different and much more difficult to connect to the use of these cleaners. However, whilst direct evidence connecting household cleaning chemicals to illnesses such as cancer is difficult to come by, there is sufficient anecdotal evidence to raise considerable alarm.

Toiletries and cosmetic products are a ubiquitous part of modern life. Unfortunately for the chemically sensitive nearly all of those in common use are again based on petrochemicals and thus pose a threat as a trigger for symptoms. The most troublesome are perfumes, aftershaves and deodorants/antiperspirants which by their very nature contain potent VOC's.


Why are VOC's harmful?

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC's) form a large component of the 70,000+ chemicals that are in regular daily use and which impact on our lives on a continual basis. They float around in the air, accumulate in the soil and end up in groundwater - they include styrene, benzene (a known carcinogen), toluene, xylene (thought to damage the heart. Liver, kidneys and nervous system) and trichloroethelene. Alarmingly, Sheila Cole who is an environmental and health educator in Halifax, Canada wrote in Spring 2005 that several of these VOC's have been found on cholesterol plaques within the arteries - showing that they do in fact accumulate in the body.

Medical journals have documented the negative effects of VOC's and formaldehyde exposure to include dizziness, nausea, fatigue, headaches, eye, nose and throat irritation, breathing difficulties and dermatitis. Formaldehyde and other VOC's have also been linked to cancer in animal studies.

In addition to cancer, new evidence is continuing to emerge showing many cleaning chemicals to be endocrine disruptors. These endocrine disruptors have the ability to act like hormones in the body. Hormones are the body's messengers and they are used to deliver crucial chemicals messages that tell our cells what to do and when to do it. These messages are the body's control system and regulate its functions and growth. Endocrine disruptors can prevent legitimate hormones from delivering their messages, they can make them deliver the message at the wrong times or they can deliver the wrong message entirely.

Asthma

Asthma rates have risen alarmingly since the 1970's and cleaning chemicals have been linked to asthma in young children:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,...1290880,00.html
Fumes given off by cleaning products and solvents in the home may be a cause of asthma in young children, according to new research. Australian researchers measured the levels of chemicals, called volatile organic compounds (VOC’s), in the homes of children under three with asthma. These VOC’s are given off by commonly used cleaning products, polishes and air fresheners as well as paints, floor adhesives, fitted carpets and cigarette smoke.

Their study, published today in the journal Thorax, says that although the number of children in the study was relatively small - 88 toddlers with asthma and 104 without - it showed a marked increase in asthma risk among those children with higher levels of VOC’s in their homes. Yet the levels measured were below the levels generally recommended as acceptable indoors. Krassi Rumche, of the school of public health at Curtin University of Technology in Perth, Australia, and colleagues, who conducted the study, say some of these VOC’s are carcinogenic as well as having a possible association with asthma.

"There is insufficient evidence concerning the health implications of VOC’s at concentrations commonly found inside houses," they write. "Research in this area is complicated by the wide range of relevant VOC’s and the continual appearance of new products which release different combinations of these compounds."

They studied children aged six months to three years who had been admitted with asthma symptoms to the accident and emergency department of the Princess Margaret hospital in Perth and compared them with a second group of children without asthma recruited from very similar backgrounds.
Two weeks after the emergency hospital visit in the winter and again in the summer, the researchers took measurements in the children's homes to establish the levels of VOC’s. The parents also completed questionnaires on the children's health and the children were subjected to a test for allergies. More children were allergic (77%) among those with asthma than among those without (50%), as would be expected, but the significant finding was that levels of indoor pollutants were higher in the homes of children with asthma. The highest risk was for the chemical benzene, followed by ethylbenzene and toluene. For every 10 unit increase in toluene and benzene, the risk of asthma increased by almost two times and three times, respectively.

A second study in the journal from a different group of Australian researchers suggests that children exposed to fumes from indoor heaters in the first year of life could be 47% more likely than others to develop wheezing and hyperactive airways (rapid narrowing) which are features of asthma. Gas appliances, in particular, emit higher levels of nitrogen dioxide than would be found outdoors, say the authors, Guy Marks from the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research at the University of Sydney and colleagues. Some epidemiological studies have linked nitrogen dioxide with an increased risk of respiratory symptoms and illnesses.

The authors of the study say that if their findings are backed by further researches, the type of heaters used in homes with babies should be reviewed.

Multiple Chemical Sensitivity
Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) or environmental illness is thought to be a form of allergy which results from chemical exposure. No specific chemicals are known to cause MCS, nor are symptoms the same in each case - the only common factor is that sufferers find themselves unable to tolerate even minute exposure to some or all synthetics. Virtually any symptom has been attributed to the syndrome, but the symptoms generally occur in one of three categories: central nervous system symptoms, respiratory and mucosal irritation, or gastrointestinal problems.

Common symptoms include fatigue, difficulty concentrating, depressed mood, memory loss, weakness, dizziness, headaches, heat intolerance and arthralgias.

VOC's are a common cause of MCS. VOC's such astoluene, xylene, hexanes and benzene evaporate into the air we breathe and are found in fragrances and perfumes, deodorants, cleaning products and detergents amongst others. Another VOC is formaldehyde which is found in everyday products such as detergents, mouth washes, fabric softeners, hair setting solutions and shampoos.

Other common causes of MCS are:
Organophosphates - commonly found in pesticides
Ammonia - found in cleaning products, deodorants and disinfectants
Synthetic fragrances - used in cleaning products, toiletries, perfumes, aftershaves and air fresheners

Neurological Problems
When tests were carried out on various toxins in cleaners they showed that they can damage the neurological system and cause fatigue, memory problems, personality changes, headaches, sleep disorders, coordination difficulties, visual problems and sexual dysfunctions.

Organ Damage
The two organs most responsible for detoxifying the body are the liver and the kidneys. When these organs are exposed to certain chemicals damage and disease can occur. Butyl cellosolv which is a common cleaning ingredients, is one such compound that has displayed high levels of toxicity to these vital organs.




x