McMorsel: What is a VOC?

All organic compounds, except…

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are regulated under CAA as ozone precursors because they react with nitrogen oxides (NO_x) in the presence of sunlight to form ground-level ozone. But what chemicals are actually considered VOCs? VOCs are defined in 40 CFR 51.100(s) as “any compound of carbon, excluding carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, carbonic acid, metallic carbides or carbonates, and ammonium carbonate, which participates in atmospheric photochemical reactions.” The regulations then go on to list many additional organic compounds that are excluded because they have been found to have negligible photochemical reactivity. Thus, from a regulatory standpoint, any organic chemical not excluded from the definition is considered a VOC. Find more compliance morsels and other goodies from McCoy online.

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