Volatile Organic Compounds

09/27/25

“What makes chemicals that have high vapor pressures at room temperature special?”

Substances with high vapor pressures become gases at low temperatures. Carbon-containing substances with high vapor pressures are classified as Volatile Organic Compounds, or VOCs. There are upwards of over ten thousand VOCs identified, ranging from perfumes to greenhouse gases. VOCs are the sources of most of the scents that humans can smell, and many VOCs contribute to air quality issues.

• Chemistry
• Earth/Climate science
• Engineering
• Urban Systems