Emission of Volatile Organic Compounds from Consumer Products

The total volatile organic compound (VOC) content and VOC composition of 12 consumer products is determined using the headspace method and chamber testing. Several hazardous or toxic VOC’s are present in abundance. Some consumer products from the same category vary significantly in terms of the total VOC content and VOC species. Spray and adhesive products for this study have high total VOC contents. The results show that three spray products and three adhesives have low moisture (0–35.87 wt.%) and a high total VOC content (63.41–99.52 wt.%) but the other six consumer products with a high moisture content (72.51–96.92 wt.%) have lower total VOC content (0.75–19.43 wt.%). Three adhesives and one car cleaner (spray product) emit significant amounts of VOC’s, including large amounts of hazardous organic solvents and some toxic substances. Therefore, direct contact should be avoided in the household environment. The total VOC content that is determined by this study can be used to calculate the total emissions and to establish an emissions inventory. All detectable VOC emission factors for each product are in the range of 6.77–924 mg g^–1. The emission factor for an individual VOC is used to better characterize consumer products as sources of hazardous material. The chamber test results that pertain to indoor air quality can be used to determine the risk of exposure.