Total Volatile Organic Compounds (TVOCs)

The new standard for Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) monitoring & compliance

Definition: a significant variety of organic contaminants known to contaminate indoor air, composed primarily of carbon and hydrogen and are described as volatile because of their tendency to evaporate. Health concerns associated with VOCs center on the additive/synergistic effects of the sum total of VOCs present and the carcinogenicity of specific VOCs. VOCs suspected to be human carcinogens include formaldehyde, benzene, p-dichlorobenzene, chloroform, tetrachloroethylene, toluene, xylene, and styrene. VOCs are primarily used in adhesives, solvents, degreasers, cleaning solutions, dry cleaning fluids, components of pesticides and plastics, and are among the by-products of combustion.
Sources of VOCs in buildings: wood products, adhesives and glues, preservatives, insulation materials, fabrics, paints and solvents, byproducts of combustion, health care products, cleaning products, pesticides, manufacturing processes, mold and fungi.

VOC Standards

For current IAQ standards you may purchase the Indoor Environmental Standard Organization's (IESO) Standards of Practice for the Assessment of Indoor Air Quality. http://www.iestandards.org/Publications/publicationForm.aspx

US EPA Maximum Allowable Air Concentration Standard: <0.20 mg/m3 TVOCs. (guideline only, this was the standard used when the EPA built their own building)
OSHA: Threshold Limit Values (TLVs) of permissible exposure to individual VOCs (IVOCs).
ASHRAE Standard 62-1989: 0.10 OSHA TLV for IVOCs.
State of Washington Building Specifications for Product Emissions: 0.50 mg/m3 TVOCs.
Carpet & Rug Institute (CRI) Emission Limits for Adhesives: 10.0 mg/m2/hr TVOCs.
Carpet & Rug Institute (CRI) Emission Limits for Carpeting: 0.50 mg/m2/hr TVOCs.

VOC-based Odors and Their Sources

Facts & Findings

• TVOC levels indoors are generally 10 to 100 times higher than outdoor levels.
• TVOC levels in new buildings and renovated indoor spaces are up to 30 mg/m3.
• TVOC levels in non-complaint buildings range from 0.20 to 0.50 mg/m3.

Human Irritation Responses to TVOC Mixtures

Converting mg/m3 to Parts Per Million (ppm): (mg/m3 ÷ mw grams) x 24.45 = ppm

Standards for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality

Total Volatile Organic Compounds (TVOCs)
OSHA: Threshold Limit Values (TLVs) of permissible exposure to individual VOCs
ASHRAE: 0.10 OSI-IA TLV for individual VOCs (IVOCs)
Carpet & Rug Institute (CRI) Emission Limits for Adhesives: 10.0 mg/m2 per 2 hr.
Carpet & Rug Institute (CRI) Emission Limits for Adhesives: 0.5 mg/m2 per 2 hr.

Carbon Monoxide (CO)
OSHA Threshold Limit Value (TLV): 35 PPM
ASHRAE, EPA: 9 PPM

Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
OSHA TLV: 5,000 PPM
ASHRAE 62-89: 1,000 PPM

Temperature
ASHRAE 55-92 (Acceptable Range):
68 to 75 degrees F (winter)
73 to 79 degrees F (summer)

Relative Humidity
ASHRAE 55-92 (Acceptable Range):
30 to 60%

Partial List of detectable

Volitile Organic Compounds

(VOC)

Semi-Volitile Organic

Compounds

This Fact Sheet is presented by the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region III (EPA) to assist in the selection of analytical parameters and the associated Quality Assurance and Quality Control (QA/QC) procedures to be utilized in Phase II Environmental Assessments under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Brownfields initiative. This fact sheet is presented for informational purposes only, and should not be construed as a federal policy or directive.

A semivolatile organic compound is an organic compound which has a boiling point higher than water and which may vaporize when exposed to temperatures above room temperature. Semivolatile organic compounds include phenols and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH).
LIST OF SEMIVOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS *

• Phenol
• Bis(2-chloroethyl)ether
• 2-Chlorophenol
• 1,3-Dichlorobenzene
• 1,4-Dichlorobenzene
• 1,2-Dichlorobenzene
• 2-Methylphenol
• Bis(2-chloroisopropyl)ether
• 4-Methylphenol
• n-Nitroso-di-n-propylamine
• Hexachloroethane
• Nitrobenzene
• Isophorone
• 2-Nitrophenol
• 2,4-Dimethlyphenol
• Bis(2-chloroethoxy)methane
• 2,4-Dichlorophenol
• 1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene
• Naphthalene
• 4-Chloroaniline
• Hexachlorobutadiene
• 4-Chloro-3-methylphenol
• 2-Methlynaphthalene
• Hexachlorocyclopentadiene
• 2,4,6-Trichlorophenol
• 2,4,5-Trichlorophenol
• 2-Chloronaphthalene
• 2-Nitroaniline
• Dimethylphthalate
• Acenaphthylene
• 2,6-Dinitrotoluene
• 3-Nitroaniline
• Acenaphthene
• 2,4-Dinitrophenol
• 4-Nitrophenol
• 4-Bromophenyl-phenylether
• Hexachlorobenzene
• Pentachlorophenol
• Phenanthrene
• Anthracene
• Carbazole
• Di-n-butylphthalate
• Fluoranthene
• Pyrene
• Butylbenzylphthalate
• 3,3'-Dichlorobenzidine
• Benzo(a)anthracene
• Chrysene
• Bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate
• Di-n-octylphthalate
• Benzo(b)fluoranthene
• Benzo(k)fluoranthene
• Benzo(a)pyrene
• Indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene
• Dibenz(a,h)anthracene
• Benzo(g,h,i)perylene

* Please note: The list above corresponds to the EPA Contract Laboratory Program (CLP) semivolatile organic list, and is not a complete list of all toxic semivolatile organic compounds. If the site history suggests a semivolatile organic compound may be present which is not on this list, the compound should be included in the requested analysis.
ANALYSIS METHODS
Please note that the methods listed below are EPA approved and the most commonly used by EPA and their contractors. However, they are not the only methods for the analysis of semivolatile organic compounds. In addition, these are not drinking water test methods.

1. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). 1992. Test Methods for Organic Chemical Analysis of Municipal and Industrial Wastewater. Washington, D.C. July.
2. EPA. 1986. Test Methods for Evaluating Solid Waste. SW-846. Washington, D.C. September.

COLLECTION MEDIA/VOLUME
Listed below are the EPA-recommended preservation and holding times as well as suggested glassware.

MINIMUM LABORATORY QUALITY CONTROL MEASURES
The laboratory should have Standard Operating Procedures available for review for the semivolatile organic compound analyses and for all associated methods needed to complete the semivolatile analysis, such as total solids, instrument maintenance, sample handling, and sample documentation procedures. In addition, the laboratory should have a Laboratory Quality Assurance/Quality Control Statement available for review which includes all key personnel qualifications.

MINIMUM DATA PACKAGE REQUIREMENTS

• Sample results in a tabular form (if soil or sediment) reported on a dry weight basis.
• Report % moisture or % solids for all soil and sediment samples.
• Report sample volumes or weights, as well as any dilution factors, for each sample analysis.
• Return copy of the chain of custody form sent with the samples with laboratory receipt acknowledgment, and the internal or laboratory chain of custody forms.
• Method blank results.
• GC/MS tuning data summary.
• GC/MS initial and continuing calibration data summary forms.
• GC/MS internal standard data for samples and associated daily standard.
• Surrogate spike recoveries, either on a separate table or with the results, including laboratory QC limits.
• Matrix spike recovery tables, including laboratory recovery and relative percent difference QC limits.
• Date samples were analyzed, on a separate sheet, tune sheet, or results page.
• Optional: sample, standard and blank chromatograms, quantitation sheets, mass spectra, instrument run logs, and total solids logs.