Volatile organic compound

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Volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, are compounds that have a high vapor pressure and low water solubility. Many VOCs are human-made chemicals that are used and produced in the manufacture of paints, pharmaceuticals and refrigerants. VOCs typically are industrial solvents, such as trichloroethylene; fuel oxygenates, such as methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE); or by-products produced by chlorination in water treatment, such as chloroform. VOCs are often components of petroleum fuels, hydraulic fluids, paint thinners and dry-cleaning agents. VOCs are common ground-water contaminants.^[1]

References

1. http://toxics.usgs.gov/definitions/vocs.html