What is a Volatile Organic Compound?
Posted in Asbestos Removal, on June 14, 2022
Several products that are used to maintain and build properties can contain and release hazardous chemicals into the air that we breathe in our homes.In older properties, asbestos testing in Toronto has found that some products containing VOCs may also contain asbestos elements, exacerbating an already severe health risk. Inhaling these chemicals, also known as Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC), can pose a significant risk to your health, depending on how much and how often you breathe them in.
If you suspect that VOCs are contaminating your home, avoid addressing your concerns on your own. Instead, seek professional assistance from Canada’s Restoration Services, one of the most trusted restoration companies in Toronto. We have the appropriate tools to test and identify asbestos and the knowledge of how to safely remove a product contaminated with the mineral.
What and Where Are VOCs?
VOCs are chemicals emitted from liquids or solids that cannot be seen and are rarely detected by smell. They can quickly evaporate into the air, and concentrations of VOCs can measure up to 100 times higher inside rather than outside. Breathing in low quantities of VOCs over long periods can harm your wellbeing. Exposure to high levels of VOCs can lead to short-term symptoms, including headaches, itchy eyes, throat and nose, nausea and more. Chronic exposures can result in cancer, kidney and liver damage, and central nervous system damage.
There are several forms of VOCs that we are exposed to daily. These chemicals can be found in vinyl flooring, wallpaper, paints, carpeting and more. However, each chemical has its own level of toxicity and risk to health.
Asbestos and VOCs
Until the early 1980s, it was common for asbestos fibres to be mixed into various parts and pieces that make up both commercial and residential buildings. The mineral was a valuable source of insulation and fire resistance and could strengthen the durability of whatever substance or product it was combined with. By the early 1990s, asbestos was banned after the health risks associated with breathing in the fibres became more and more apparent. Serious, long-term health conditions – such as Malignant Mesothelioma Cancer – are linked to exposure of the mineral.
Asbestos testing in Toronto continues to find the mineral lingering in old homes, in products ranging from vinyl flooring to wallpaper – two products commonly have VOCs. Like VOCs, it may not be easily clear or evident that you’ve been exposed to asbestos. And if both asbestos and VOCs contaminate your space, you are exposed to grave, health-hazardous toxins.
Asbestos Removal Toronto
If you suspect that VOCs or asbestos are lingering in your space, you should immediately seek professional testing and removal from a trusted restoration company in Toronto.
Canada’s Restoration Services will inspect your home and take samples from parts or products that may potentially contain asbestos. These samples are then provided to a third-party lab for further testing and verification. If asbestos is confirmed, we move towards full-scale containment and safe removal of the asbestos in question.
Concerned about VOCs or asbestos?
