What is TVOC?
Total Volatile Organic Compounds (TVOCs) is a collective term used to describe the total concentration of all volatile organic compounds (VOCs) present in the air. VOCs are a group of organic chemicals that can easily vaporize into the air at room temperature. They are emitted into the air by various household products, including paint, cleaning products, new furniture, cooking, and tobacco smoke.
How does it affect me, and how can I manage it?
VOCs are both natural and human-made and can have implications for indoor air quality (IAQ) and human health. They can lead to irritation of the eyes, nose, or throat. In extreme cases, they can cause liver, kidney, or nervous system damage, and even lead to cancer.
You can manage TVOCs indoor with a combination of strategies aimed at reducing the sources of VOC emissions. These include improving ventilation, using air purifiers, controlling humidity, using indoor plants that absorb VOCs, and monitoring VOCs levels regularly.
How is it measured?
VOCs are typically measured in units of concentration. The unit of measurement that the WELL Building Institute uses is parts per billion (ppb), which represents the number of VOC molecules in one billion molecules of air. The WELL Building Standard in Abound is set to less than 87.3 ppb.