Total Volatile Organic Compounds (TVOC) in Indoor Air Quality Investigations*

TLDR

The amount of VOCs in indoor air, called TVOC, has been measured using varying definitions and techniques yielding inconsistent results, and the report reviews TVOC’s usefulness for exposure assessment, control, and predicting health or comfort effects. The report recommends a specific TVOC definition based on a defined VOC range and proposes a measurement method for this TVOC entity. The proposed method sums concentrations of 64 identified VOCs within the defined range, adds non‑identified compounds expressed as toluene equivalents, and uses the total to calculate TVOC. The report concludes that TVOC cannot yet predict effects but is useful for characterizing indoor pollution and improving source control for health, comfort, energy efficiency, and sustainability.

Abstract

Abstract The amount of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in indoor air, usually called TVOC (total volatile organic compounds), has been measured using different definitions and techniques which yield different results. This report recommends a definition of TVOC referring to a specified range of VOCs and it proposes a method for the measurement of this TVOC entity. Within the specified range, the measured concentrations of identified VOCs (including 64 target compounds) are summed up, concentrations of non-identified compounds in toluene equivalents are added and, together with the identified VOCs, they give the TVOC value. The report reviews the TVOC concept with respect to its usefulness for exposure assessment and control and for the prediction of health or comfort effects. Although the report concludes that at present it is not possible to use TVOC as an effect predictor, it affirms the usefulness of TVOC for characterizing indoor pollution and for improving source control as required from the points of view of health, comfort, energy efficiency and sustainability.