[Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC): definition, classification and properties]

The term volatile organic compounds includes a wide variety of chemical substances with the common feature of being carbon compounds that are volatile at ambient temperature. They can be classified into different families defined by their chemical formulae, each of which possesses common properties, although there may be major differences in terms of toxicity. For that reason the effects of VOC on health have to be considered both in an individual way and also from a global viewpoint on account of their common toxic properties and the role they play in the formation of environmental photo-oxidative pollutants, both outdoors and indoors.