Identifying VOC Exposure Risks to Protect Building Occupants and Workers in Puerto Rico

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are a diverse group of chemicals that have a high vapor pressure and low water solubility. These chemicals can be found in numerous products and materials used to build, furnish, clean, and maintain homes and buildings. They can also be found in a number of personal care and consumer goods where they can become an airborne pollutant.

Exposure to elevated levels of VOCs can cause health concerns. Unfortunately, concentrations of many VOCs are consistently higher indoors (up to ten times higher) than outdoors reports the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Possible health effects from exposure to VOCs shared by the agency include:

• Eye, nose and throat irritation
• Headaches, loss of coordination and nausea
• Damage to the liver, kidneys and central nervous system
• Some organics can cause cancer in animals, and some are suspected or known to cause cancer in humans

Potential signs and symptoms associated with exposure to VOCs listed by the EPA include conjunctival irritation, nose and throat discomfort, headache, allergic skin reaction, dyspnea, declines in serum cholinesterase levels, nausea, emesis, epistaxis, fatigue and dizziness.

“There are also occupations that put workers at risk of being exposed to high levels of these chemicals in the air they breathe every day on the job,” said Harry Pena, President of Zimmetry Environmental. “This is why the Occupational Health and Safety Administration has developed permissible exposure limits (PELs) for so many of them.”

In Puerto Rico and across the Caribbean, the building science, industrial hygiene and indoor air quality professionals at Zimmetry Environmental provide testing, monitoring and consulting services to identify and mitigate these types of exposure risks. If elevated levels are detected, corrective action can then be implemented to provide a healthy indoor environment for workers and building occupants. Zimmetry also recently sponsored an educational video about VOCs which can be seen at: https://youtu.be/yOz1CD_3DSE

To learn more about Zimmetry Environmental and their indoor air quality, building science, environmental, industrial hygiene, and compliance consulting and testing services, please visit www.zimmetry.com, call (787) 995.0005 or email info@zimmetry.com .

About Zimmetry Environmental
Since 2002, Zimmetry Environmental has been providing environmental consulting services to building owners and managers, architects, engineers, EHS professionals and Fortune 500 companies. The company is based in Puerto Rico and provides services across the Caribbean and Central America. The professionals at Zimmetry offer environmental compliance, indoor air quality, asbestos, lead-based paint, Phase I ESAs and general environmental consulting services.

Contact Information

Paul Cochrane

President

Cochrane & Associates, LLC

Contact via E-mail