ABSTRACT
The term “volatile organic compound ”, or “VOC ”, is not really a scientific one, nor is it unambiguous. Generally speaking, VOCs are organic compounds that have a low boiling point, i.e. a high vapour pressure. There have been some eff orts to more rigid definitions, e.g. by the European Community [1]. They define an organic compound as “any compound containing at least the element carbon and one or more of hydrogen, oxygen, sulphur, phosphorus, silicon, nitrogen, or a halogen, with the exception of carbon oxides and inorganic carbonates and bicarbonates”. It becomes volatile if “having an initial boiling point less than or equal to 250°C measured at a standard pressure of 101.3 kPa”.
