ABSTRACT
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are emitted into the atmosphere due to various human activities, mainly as unburned fuel from power production, transportation, and solvents from industrial processes. They have direct and indirect injurious effects on human health. Apart from harm caused when exposed to high concentrations, even minute amounts of carcinogenic compounds, such as dioxins and polycyclic aromatic compounds, affect human health [1]. Photochemical smog is an indirect effect of VOCs where nitrogen oxides and VOCs react to produce ozone and peroxy compounds in the presence of sunlight [1]. Other undesirable environmental conditions include ozone depletion and global warming. Halogenated VOCs have been identified as major contributors to ozone depletion. Their high volatility and persistence cause the accumulation of these compounds in the
“DK3029_C017” — #2
atmosphere, where they act as catalysts for ozone decomposition. Methane, the lightest volatile organic is about 20 times more effective as a green house gas than its complete oxidation product, carbon dioxide [1,2]. The atmospheric lifetime of methane is about 10 years. The increasing incidence of atmospheric methane suggests that sources exceed the sinks by about 10%, which highlights the importance of control of emissions [1].
