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

Odor Description	VOC	Source
Fishy	Trimethylamine	Wet fiberglass insulation
Medicinal	Phenol(s)	Concrete floor leveler
Sharp, pungent	Nonanal	Permanent press finish on textiles products
Putrid	Valeraldehyde	Rubber material
Musty	3,7-dimethyl octanol	Biological contamination
Harsh	Hydrocarbons	Combustion (exhaust, processes)

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.

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

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%