To ensure workers are kept as safe as possible from VOC emissions, companies are investing more and more in technology that can monitor facilities and provide information that is accurate and reliable. Let’s take a closer look at reliable VOC detectors and how you can best use them to keep your workplace safe.

What are Volatile Organic Compounds?

VOCs are defined as organic compounds that participate in atmospheric photochemical reactions and are often present at industrial plants, offshore platforms, laboratories, and other industrial settings, Common substances that qualify as VOC include benzene, acetone, hydrocarbons, and gasoline or exhaust produced by the use of fossil fuels during the manufacturing process. Since most of these compounds evaporate into the surrounding air, it is critical to have monitoring systems in place that can detect dangerous levels of VOCs and alert nearby workers. 

Pro Tip: Long term exposure to low levels of VOCs can increase health risks and possibly cause injury or even death. Many are considered carcinogens and have strict EPA exposure limits.  

Versatile Detection Capabilities

Because VOC can be found in many different work settings, it is important that monitors and sensors used in these facilities have versatile detection capabilities. 

Confined Space Monitoring

To learn more about what a VOC detector is, it is important to know as much as possible about confined space monitoring. Whether it is a laboratory at a university, an offshore drilling platform in the middle of an ocean, or a chemical processing plant in an industrial park, numerous indoor environments have numerous confined spaces that require careful monitoring for VOC concentrations.

To accomplish this, many companies purchase portable VOC detectors, which can work in conjunction with fixed monitoring systems to help protect workers from unexpected buildups of these dangerous substances. By using portable detectors that can be clipped to belts or clothing, engineers and technicians can closely monitor VOC levels while repairing or installing equipment. Along with this, all data from the air quality monitors is transmitted in real-time to on-site safety engineers and also off-site analysts at monitoring centers, allowing for instant analysis in the event an emergency occurs.

Improving Your Indoor Air Quality

Whether used in an area where high humidity levels, temperature extremes, or dust and dirt are significant factors, VOC detectors and meters are made to withstand the harshest of work environments.

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To keep these situations from happening, companies rely on VOC monitoring systems that can not only detect VOC very quickly but also alert those in the area of impending danger. If you are wondering which systems are best and why, here are some answers to your questions.

Work Environments

From an offshore drilling platform that deals with high humidity levels 24/7, manufacturing plants where equipment creates constant vibrations, or warehouses where temperature extremes are common, work environments play a significant role in how volatile organic compounds sensors perform on the job.

Since these systems are needed in a variety of work environments, they are designed with software and electronics made to withstand harsh conditions. An important part of any system is the ability to send information in real-time to engineers and other personnel in charge of monitoring and analyzing data.

Detecting VOCs

When systems are put in place to detect volatile organic compounds, they most likely use sensors called photoionization detectors, otherwise known as a “PID”. These sensors use high-intensity ultraviolet light to ionize complex molecules. Another way to describe the process is to say that the high energy photons emitted by the UV lamp hit electrons buried in the VOC molecules so hard that they are knocked free and then counted by the detector’s electronics.  These sensors have a very wide dynamic range and can detect levels into the ‘parts per billion’ concentration level.

Pro Tip: PID sensors are complex devices that should be kept away from vibration and temperature extremes. 

How to Monitor Confined Spaces

Since VOC leaks and buildups often happen near pipes, valves, and equipment that may be malfunctioning, most of these serious situations occur in confined spaces at industrial sites and labs. Because of this, more and more emphasis is now placed on properly monitoring confined spaces.

The best solution for a confined space is a sample draw monitor that integrates a sample pump, low-flow monitor switch, and high-performance gas detector. These units are often mounted outside the confined space, making maintenance and calibration work easy to perform. This results in greater uptime, more accurate calibrations, and a more visible warning of problems that are easy to recognize before the employee enters the potentially hazardous confined space. 

Choosing a VOC Detector

Since there are many complexities involved when selecting a VOC detector, do not try to make the decision on your own. Instead, speak to an experienced and knowledgeable Applications Engineer at Global Detection Systems. We look forward to helping you keep your workplace safe and healthy.

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When you work with chemicals containing volatile organics in your manufacturing processes, your indoor air quality is threatened. Harmful levels of VOCs are hard to detect by the human nose. Thus, reliable detection systems are necessary to keep you and your workers safe. With lasting health effects like cancer and memory impairment, monitoring volatile organics can’t be overlooked.

What are VOCs exactly?

Volatile organic compounds (or VOCs) are carbon-based chemicals that turn into gaseous form at room temperature. These toxic gases are invisible to the human eye and can be found in many consumer products and industrial processes. Some of the most common VOC substances include formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, phenol, and methylene chloride. 

Volatile organics can be found in paint varnishes, cleaning supplies, pesticides, building materials, correction fluids, glues, adhesives, and other chemicals. Be sure to monitor all sources of VOCs to protect your current and future health.

Pro Tip: Installing a photoionization detector to accurately measure the volatile organic molecules in the air near you.

Harmful Levels of VOCs

When dealing with VOCs, there are safe and unsafe levels of concentration to consider. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), organic pollutants can be 2-5 times higher in interior spaces compared to outdoor air. Installing proper detection systems is crucial for guarding against toxic levels in your working environment.

When measuring volatile organics, you may be presented with the term, Total VOC (or TVOC for short). TVOC is the total concentration of all VOCs found simultaneously in the air. Any volatile organic could be found in a number of elements. Instead of focusing on a single compound, detectors measure the sum concentration of VOCs.

Federal officials haven’t fully regulated VOCs, but the following chart shows the appropriate levels of TVOCs in the air.

Health Effects of Volatile Organics

If you regularly interact with VOCs, your future health could be in danger. Although many signs of VOC poisoning are noticed immediately, some people may experience symptoms days after exposure. Health effects could include eye, nose, and throat irritation, central nervous system damage, the development of cancer, and memory impairment.

According to the EPA, health symptoms associated with exposure to VOCs include:

• Conjunctival irritation
• Nose and throat discomfort
• Headache
• Allergic skin reaction
• Dyspnea
• Decline in serum cholinesterase levels
• Nausea
• Emesis
• Epistaxis
• Fatigue
• Dizziness

If you work with volatile organics, it’s important to have easy access to fresh air in the case of exposure. Those experiencing severe symptoms should contact emergency personnel for immediate assistance.

Protect Yourself from Air Pollutants

Do you regularly deal with volatile organics? Protect your facility’s air quality and guard your employee’s health by installing photoionization detectors, or PIDs. GDS Corp offers a number of PIDs with high energy ultraviolet lights to accurately measure the compounds in your environment.

Could you be exposed to VOCs? Connect with our gas detection experts to find the best detector for your environment.