Taking care of your family is more than just providing for their basic needs, it's also in making sure your indoor environment stays safe and healthy. That's why VOC testing for your home in California is so critical. Your family may be exposed to harmful compounds in the air and suffer severe health effects from a threat you can't see. Keep reading to learn more about VOC testing and find out if your family is at risk of VOC contamination.
Call to set an appointment: 888-217-2719
What are VOCs?
Volatile Organic Compounds (also known as VOCs) are emitted as gases from a variety of solids or liquids. VOCs are composed of an assortment of chemical compounds, many of which have chronic long-term health effects. Concentrations of many VOCs are frequently up to ten times higher indoors than they are outdoors. VOCs are released by a wide array of manufactured goods and other products totaling into the many thousands.
It should also be noted that A-1 Certified Environmental Services performs VOC Testing for COMMERCIAL Projects as well as for RESIDENTIAL Testing. We're happy to help you out with your VOC Testing needs, but keep in mind, we also undertake Indoor Air Quality Testing and Mold Testing in the California region.
Volatile Organic Compounds are a kind of contamination that gets circulated in the air through burning fuel or evaporating chemicals and can become hazardous when they take on the form of a gas or vapor. It can be toxic to breathe in these chemical compounds, and long-term contact can cause substantial health problems if not identified and the sources removed. A few common place sources of VOCs include:
- Gas burning stoves, candles, and grills
- Paints, strippers, and other thinners
- Cleaning products that contain vinegar, alcohol, or acetone
- Aerosol sprays
- Manufactured furniture and laminate floors
- Glues, plastics, and resins
- Pesticides
- Cleaning agents and disinfectants
- Wood preservatives
- Fuels and other auto products
There are many other causes of VOCs in your home or business that you should watch out for. Since there are so many sources of VOCs used every day in the home, it's important to undertake testing to ensure your home hasn’t been adversely affected.
Why Should you Test for VOCs?
It's essential to test for VOCs in your house because of the injury they can trigger after continuous contact. Widespread VOCs can produce allergic responses, throat inflammation, breathing problems, skin responses, and acute respiratory concerns. After persistent exposure, VOCs can even cause cancer in the nose, throat, or lungs, as well as damage the kidneys, liver, and the nervous system. With constant exposure of high enough quantities, chronic VOC exposure can lead to death.
Homes with seniors, children, or the frequently ill members of the family should be on guard for widespread signs of high VOC levels. These susceptible family members are prone to be more deeply affected by the occurrence of VOCs. VOCs are a kind of contamination that gets circulated in the indoor air through burning fuel, evaporating chemicals compounds and can be hazardous when they take the form of a gas or vapor.
When reviewing VOCs, the one that is more widespread than all the others is formaldehyde. So much so, that homeowners should have expert testing done to establish their danger and exposure to it. Formaldehyde is a gaseous compound that can be circulated in the air in many ways. It's circulated from gas stoves, smoke, some cleaning products, plastics, paints, glues, man made textiles, and more. With so many contributing sources of formaldehyde, its testing in California homes is important to safeguard your family and loved ones.
How to Reduce VOC Exposure
- Always increase the ventilation especially when using products that are known to emit VOCs.
- Formaldehyde, one of the most well-known VOCs, is an indoor air contaminant that can be very accurately measured, so seek out professional VOC Testing.
- Ventilate the home and make sure there is plenty of fresh air when using paints, thinners, and similar products.
- Don't store opened containers of partially used paints and similar materials.
- Reduce exposure of all paints and sealant on exposed surfaces as much as possible.
- Always use everyday products according to the manufacturer's directions.
- Get rid of all unused or partially used containers in an approved manner.
- Keep all products that contain chemical compounds out of reach of children and pets.
Wipe Out VOCs in Your Household
The existence of VOCs in a residential home can cause long-term harm to the people who live there. If you believe your family members are experiencing impairment triggered by VOCs or other indoor air quality impurities, you should absolutely consider getting an indoor air quality test done. VOC testing and formaldehyde testing are crucial elements to upholding the safety of your house. Testing will also allow you peace of mind with the knowledge that your friends and family are safe.
Don't forget: you can email us directly from the main Contact Us page.
A-1 Certified Environmental Services covers VOC Testing in San Jose, Oakland, Santa Rosa, Fremont, Livermore, Vallejo, Antioch, Hayward, Sunnyvale, San Mateo and most regions in California.
Source:
https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/volatile-organic-compounds-impact-indoor-air-quality