Indoor volatile and semi-volatile organic toxic compounds: Need for global action

Abstract

Indoor air pollution results in mortalities worldwide, burdening especially the low- and middle-income countries. The volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds (VOCs and SVOCs) emitted from indoor structures and furniture materials are important sources of indoor air pollution. Exposure to VOCs, such as formaldehyde and benzene, has been associated with higher risk of reproductive problems, respiratory complications, immune suppression, cancers, and dementia. SVOCs are typically found in carpets, textiles, furniture, electronics and cosmetics. These chemicals are also neurotoxic, inducing a number of adverse health effects, behavioral changes, learning disability, and the impairment of locomotor activity. If not mitigated, indoor air pollution will continue to impose health and socioeconomic burden on both individuals and societies. Solutions to curb their environmental occurrences include those that reduce/eliminate the material sources of indoor VOCs/SVOCs and those that increase their removal, including phytoremediation and metal-organic frameworks to reduce their indoor concentrations. As such, there is an urgent need to tackle this problem by better regulating the indoor concentrations of these chemicals and developing and upscaling solutions to mitigate their health effects, using advanced, accessible, and environmentally sustainable materials, electronics and technologies.