Chemical and "VOC" Reductions

Chemical and Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) Reductions

David Levesque

Every year, Americans pour a total of 5,280 tons of cleaning chemicals down drains. What we may not realize, in addition to being flat-out environmentally UN-friendly, one out of every three of those products is harmful to humans, animals and plant life. Virtually every cleaning chemical label contains a human health warning — and for good reason. The potentially harmful chemicals in most cleaners vary from mild hydrogen peroxide in the greenest to well-documented poisons in the most toxic. Now most consumers are familiar with the hazards of ingesting or inhaling these products. However there exists another risk not commonly discussed: The release, or “off-gassing”, of Volatile Organic Compounds, better known as “VOC’s”. 

In the indoor air quality industry we pay special attention to VOC’s and how to control them as many studies have been performed on the negative effects they can pose to your health. VOC’s are compounds that vaporize (become a gas) at room temperature. Common sources which may emit VOCs into indoor air include housekeeping and maintenance products such as finishes, rug and oven cleaners, paints and laquers, paint strippers, pesticides and building and furnishing materials. In sufficient quantities, VOCs can cause eye, nose, and throat irritations, headaches, dizziness, visual disorders, memory impairment; some are known to cause cancer in animals; some are suspected of causing, or are known to cause, cancer in humans. At present, not much is known about what health effects occur at the levels of VOCs typically found in public and commercial buildings, however what is known is that any overexposure to VOC’s can have adverse effects on health.

To limit your exposure to harmful VOC’s, consider selecting products labeled as being low-VOC emitting. Many of today’s paints are manufactured to this degree. Always use any chemical products with adequate ventilation, and in the event the culprit is a new piece of furniture or building material, use every opportunity possible to introduce fresh air into the area. One new alternative to this dilemma of cleaning is a revolutionary new product called Activeion. This product uses the method of “Water Electrolysis” to effectively transform pure tap water into a general purpose cleaner and sanitizer. Essentially the water molecules are split into both acidic and alkaline droplets that clean and sanitize on contact. This one product alone can replace 8-10 of your normal household and marine cleaning products. Best of all, with zero VOC emissions, Activeion is the perfect compliment to your new YAQ program. More information on Activeion can be obtained by calling the Kanberra Group at 1-800-683-0021.