Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are airborne carbon-based molecules produced by chemicals vaporizing at room temperature. VOCs come from a wide range of sources, such as cleaning and personal care products, building materials, surface coatings, and living organisms such as mold and human occupants. VOC formation can also result from indoor chemical reactions between other air compounds.
There are hundreds of different chemicals which are categorized as VOCs, for example, alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, organic acids, amines, organic chloramines, aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons.