You may have heard about volatile organic compounds, also known as VOCs, and been wondering if they are something that you need to worry about in Tampa, Naples, Sarasota, Fort Myers, Siesta Key, Longboat Key, or the surrounding areas. VOCs are found in numerous man-made items, both solids and liquids, and can lead to a variety of symptoms.
Building Performance Solutions can perform VOC testing to help you find out what kind of compounds might be present in your indoor environment. Once you know what you have, you can make a plan to deal with it. Contact us today to learn more about having VOC testing performed at your location.
Symptoms of VOC Exposure
When people are exposed to VOCs, there are a number of potential outcomes from this exposure. The first involves the irritation of the nose and throat of the body. You may suffer from coughing, sneezing, or a runny or stuffy nose. Often people mistake these symptoms for the common cold, so this isn’t always due to VOC exposure.
Other symptoms of VOC exposure include headaches as well as fatigue. Certain compounds will cause the body to react with dizziness, nausea, weakness, headaches, and other symptoms. These compounds can lead to more severe issues with prolonged exposure. Asthma may also be exacerbated with VOCs and causing wheezing and chest tightness.
How To Clean Up VOCs
Because some VOCs come from different products that you use, from paint to cleaners and other products, one way to lower VOCs that you are exposed to is to opt for low-VOC options in these products. In other cases, better ventilation is required to help release the gases and prevent them from building up. This works well with new materials installed in your space, such as carpeting or new furniture. It is important to try to keep the humidity and temperature lower as this helps to slow the offgassing of VOCs from these different materials.
If you suspect that you have VOCs that are impacting your building in Tampa, Naples, Sarasota, Fort Myers, Siesta Key, Longboat Key, or elsewhere in Florida, contact our team at Building Performance Solutions to schedule a VOC testing session.
Until you know what is happening, you can’t form a plan, and VOC testing will provide you that path to clean up your indoor air. Contact us today to learn more.
