About Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC)

They are organic chemical compounds whose composition makes it possible for them to evaporate under normal indoor atmospheric conditions of temperature and pressure.

Common examples of VOCs: Benzene, ethylene glycol, formaldehyde, methylene chloride, tetrachloroethylene, toluene and xylene.

Source of VOCs: VOCs are released by petrol and diesel vehicles. They impact air quality and human health. However, VOCs can also have a natural origin. Plants emit these chemicals to attract pollinators, defend themselves from pests and predators and adapt to environmental stress.

Effect of VOCs on Health: VOCs can irritate the eyes, nose, and throat, damage body organs, and cause cancer. Long-term exposure to VOCs is not good because the majority of the VOCs are carcinogenic (cancer-causing). It is also linked to medical conditions such as asthma and heart disease.

Note: Benzene, a chemical that induces cancer, is the only VOC included in the ambient air-quality standards.

Formation of Dangerous Pollutants: VOCs can drive the formation of other dangerous pollutants. For instance, they react with sunlight and nitrogen dioxide to form ground-level ozone.

VOCs also trigger the formation of Particulate Matter (PM2.5), a pollutant that reaches deep into the lungs, affecting their normal functioning. They also react in the air to produce secondary organic aerosols, minute particles suspended in the air.

How shifting to EVs will reduce VOCs?

The gases escaping out of a vehicle’s exhaust account for 65-80% of an automobile’s emissions. Hence, replacing all petrol, diesel, LPG, and CNG fuelled two- and three-wheelers with electric vehicles in 2030 will slash emissions of VOCs by 76%. Further, It could also lower the emissions of black carbon — a sooty black material coming from gas and diesel-powered vehicles — by 50%.

Source:  Important Environmental Initiatives – International and Domestic