How many vocs are there

This apparent contradiction reflects the complex mixture of groundwater ages in wells. Wells with mostly young groundwater are the most likely to have decreasing concentrations of MtBE in response to ending use of the gasoline additive. Wells with older groundwater and a broad mix of groundwater ages are the most likely to have concentrations of MtBE that are unchanging or even still increasing, as groundwater recharge carrying MtBE continues to slowly make its way to the well.

The age of groundwater is key in predicting which contaminants it might contain. There are many tracers and techniques that allow us to estimate the age—or mix of ages—of the groundwater we depend on as a drinking water supply. Learn about the quality and availability of groundwater for drinking, where and why groundwater quality is degraded, and where groundwater quality is changing.

Water and the chemicals it contains are constantly being exchanged between the land surface and the subsurface. Surface water seeps into the ground and recharges the underlying aquifer—groundwater discharges to the surface and supplies the stream with baseflow. USGS Integrated Watershed Studies assess these exchanges and their effect on surface-water and groundwater quality and quantity.

Are you among the more than million people in the U. Although the quality of finished drinking water from public water systems is regulated by the EPA, long-term protection and management of the raw groundwater tapped by public-supply wells requires an understanding of the occurrence of contaminants in this invisible, vital More than 43 million people—about 15 percent of the U. The quality and safety of water from domestic wells are not regulated by the Federal Safe Drinking Water Act or, in most cases, by state laws.

Instead, individual homeowners are responsible for maintaining their domestic well systems and for monitoring water How does the water quality measure up? It all depends on what the water will be used for and what contaminants are of interest. Water-quality benchmarks are designed to protect drinking water, recreation, aquatic life, and wildlife. Learn about groundwater quality in the Principal Aquifers of nine regions across the United States in informative circulars filled with figures, photos, and water-quality information.

Is groundwater the source of your drinking water? The USGS is assessing the quality of groundwater used for public supply using newly collected data along with existing water-quality data. Learn more about this invisible, vital resource so many of us depend on.

We think of groundwater as moving slowly, and groundwater quality as changing slowly—over decades or even centuries. But in some parts of some aquifers, groundwater quality can fluctuate rapidly, sometimes over just a few hours. Are such changes part of a long-term trend, or just part of a short-term cycle? And what does that mean for suitability for drinking? Unless we drill a well, how can we know the quality of the groundwater below?

Learn about how the USGS is using sophisticated techniques to predict groundwater quality and view national maps of groundwater quality. More than million people in the United States—about 35 percent of the population—receive their drinking water from public-supply wells. These systems can be vulnerable to contamination from naturally occurring constituents, such as radon, uranium and arsenic, and from commonly used manmade chemicals, such as fertilizers, pesticides, solvents, and gasoline hydrocarbons.

Learn about the This national assessment of 55 volatile organic compounds VOCs in ground water gives emphasis to the occurrence of VOCs in aquifers that are used as an important supply of drinking water. In contrast to the monitoring of VOC contamination of ground water at point-source release sites, such as landfills and leaking underground storage tanks Temporal changes in methyl tert-butyl ether MtBE concentrations in groundwater were evaluated in the northeastern United States, an area of the nation with widespread low-level detections of MtBE based on a national survey of wells selected to represent ambient conditions.

MtBE use in the U. Ten years later in , and eight years after MtBE was banned, Most wells of had no MtBE Surface water and air volatile organic compound VOC data from 10 U. Geological Survey monitoring sites were used to evaluate the potential for direct transport of VOCs from the atmosphere to urban streams. Analytical results of 87 VOC compounds were screened by evaluating the occurrence and detection levels in both water and air, and The Field Contamination Study FCS was designed to determine the field processes that tend to result in clean field blanks and to identify potential sources of contamination to blanks collected in the field from selected volatile organic compounds VOCs and wastewater-indicator compounds WICs.

A process-based methodology was used to compare the vulnerability of public supply wells tapping seven study areas in four hydrologically distinct regional aquifers to volatile organic compound VOC contamination. This method considers 1 contributing areas and travel times of groundwater flowpaths converging at individual supply wells, 2 the Methyl tert-butyl ether MTBE concentrations???

The U. These urban streams were selected to 1 characterize stream water quality from areas draining predominantly residential and commercial land uses and Results from two national surveys indicate that the gasoline oxygenate methyl tertiary butyl ether MTBE is one of the most frequently detected volatile organic compounds in source waters used by community water systems in the United States.

Three other ether oxygenates were detected infrequently but almost always co-occurred with MTBE. A random Some of the most common activities that result in VOC contamination in ground water are:. Once VOCs get into a ground water supply, natural environmental occurrences such as precipitation cause these organic chemicals to merge into rivers, streams, and aquifers in private wells, affecting water quality.

Some of the most common potential health effects associated with exposure to VOCs include the following:. A carcinogenic substance is capable of causing cancer. The 12 carcinogenic VOCs are:. Not included in this list, but still important to know about, is MTBE, which has been proven in animal studies to cause tumors in the liver and kidneys.

Studies have found that exposure to MTBE in the air or drinking water may have damaging neurological effects, from headaches and nausea to dizziness and even depression.

VOCs can also pose a health risk to a number of the organs in the human body, including the kidneys and liver. If you use products only occasionally or seasonally, such as paints, paint strippers and kerosene for space heaters or gasoline for lawn mowers, buy only as much as you will use right away.

Keep exposure to emissions from products containing methylene chloride to a minimum. Consumer products that contain methylene chloride include paint strippers, adhesive removers and aerosol spray paints. Methylene chloride is known to cause cancer in animals.

Also, methylene chloride is converted to carbon monoxide in the body and can cause symptoms associated with exposure to carbon monoxide. Carefully read the labels containing health hazard information and cautions on the proper use of these products. Use products that contain methylene chloride outdoors when possible; use indoors only if the area is well ventilated.

Keep exposure to perchloroethylene emissions from newly dry-cleaned materials to a minimum. Perchloroethylene is the chemical most widely used in dry cleaning. In laboratory studies, it has been shown to cause cancer in animals. Recent studies indicate that people breathe low levels of this chemical both in homes where dry-cleaned goods are stored and as they wear dry-cleaned clothing.

Dry cleaners recapture the perchloroethylene during the dry-cleaning process so they can save money by re-using it, and they remove more of the chemical during the pressing and finishing processes. Some dry cleaners, however, do not remove as much perchloroethylene as possible all of the time. No federally enforceable standards have been set for VOCs in non-industrial settings.

Indoor Air Fact Sheet No. Skip to main content. Contact Us. Sources of VOCs Household products, including: paints, paint strippers and other solvents wood preservatives aerosol sprays cleansers and disinfectants moth repellents and air fresheners stored fuels and automotive products hobby supplies dry-cleaned clothing pesticide Other products, including: building materials and furnishings office equipment such as copiers and printers, correction fluids and carbonless copy paper graphics and craft materials including glues and adhesives, permanent markers and photographic solutions.

Health Effects Health effects may include: Eye, nose and throat irritation Headaches, loss of coordination and nausea Damage to liver, kidney and central nervous system Some organics can cause cancer in animals, some are suspected or known to cause cancer in humans.

Key signs or symptoms associated with exposure to VOCs include: conjunctival irritation nose and throat discomfort headache allergic skin reaction dyspnea declines in serum cholinesterase levels nausea emesis epistaxis fatigue dizziness The ability of organic chemicals to cause health effects varies greatly from those that are highly toxic, to those with no known health effect.

Among the immediate symptoms that some people have experienced soon after exposure to some organics include: Eye and respiratory tract irritation headaches dizziness visual disorders and memory impairment At present, not much is known about what health effects occur from the levels of organics usually found in homes.

Meet or exceed any label precautions. Do not store opened containers of unused paints and similar materials within the school. Formaldehyde, one of the best known VOCs, is one of the few indoor air pollutants that can be readily measured.

Identify, and if possible, remove the source. If not possible to remove, reduce exposure by using a sealant on all exposed surfaces of paneling and other furnishings.