Something in the Air

Something in the Air

PDQ1

Get ready to offgas some VOCs and hunt up some wild ones!

Overview

Grades:
Time:
Subject:

5-8
5-15 minutes
Environmental Science

Volatile Organic Compounds are harmful to your body if you’re exposed to constant, high levels.   Let’s take a closer look.

Background

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are substances that evaporate at room temperature and are potentially dangerous if we are exposed too heavily.  Symptoms of overexposure include headaches, nausea, irritation to the eyes, nose, and throat, loss of coordination and more – yikes!

Sources of VOCs include cleaning solutions, paints, new carpet and furniture, and many other things.   If you note a “chemical” smell on something, it is quite likely emitting VOCs.   

VOC levels you discover may be quite low, but if you receive prolonged exposure, even of a low level, it can cause harm.  Use these values as a general guide:

  • 0-250 ppb – VOC contents in the air are low.
  • 250-2000 ppb – try and identify the source and reduce the emissions
  • Over 2000 ppb – this is a dangerous level and you should immediately ventilate the area and determine the cause.   

Let’s explore VOCs further with databot™!

What You'll Need

  • IOS or Android smart device with Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) to connect to databot™
  • databot™ + Phypox App installed on your IOS or Android device
  • Airtight container to hold databot™ and materials for testing
  • White Vinegar
  • Plastic or Glass Container – 1 Cup or 250 ml

Objectives

By completing this experiment and conducting the scientific observations associated with it you will master the following knowledge! Good luck science explorer!

  • Indoor air quality can affect your health and your ability to concentrate. 
  • Volatile Organic Compounds are emitted by a variety of chemicals into the air and can have an adverse affect on your health.
  • You can make your home and work environment safer by understanding the sources of VOCs and reducing your exposure to them.
  • Scientific sensors allow us to measure the scientific world around us with better precision and accuracy.

Important Terms

Air Quality:  The levels of pollutants in your surrounding air determines your air quality.  High levels of pollution, dust, or smoke would be examples of poor air quality.

Baking Soda: Sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO₃) is an alkaline salt, a base, that can absorb VOCs.

Carbon Dioxide (CO2): A colorless, odorless gas naturally present in the air you breathe and is absorbed by plants in photosynthesis. There would be no animal life or green plants without carbon dioxide. Green plants use energy from the sun plus carbon dioxide and water to produce carbohydrates and oxygen. 

Relative Humidity: Humidity refers to the amount of moisture in the air.  High levels of humidity indoors can contribute to microbial activity which can affect indoor air quality.

HVAC: Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) refers to the technology of maintaining clean and comfortable environmental conditions in buildings and vehicles.

Indoor Air Quality: The quality of the air inside and nearby buildings that includes humidity and gas levels.

Outgassing: Giving off or releasing gases such as from paint drying and curing.

Vinegar: A mixture of acetic acid (CH₃COOH) and water (H20) that gives off VOCs.

Volatile Organic Compounds: Chemicals that evaporate at room temperature and are emitted by substances like cleaners, paint thinner, and paints.  Levels that are too high can be harmful to your body and cause health problems.

Volume: The amount of space a substance takes up.

Prep (5 Mins)

This is a fun and simple activity in which you will observe the outgassing of VOCs in a closed environment then hunt for them in the wild.
  • Review the important terms.
  • Gather your materials.
  • Make sure your databot is fully charged.
  • Test your smart device connection and make sure you’ve installed the CO2 science experiments in Phyphox.
  • Your setup will look something like the photo on the right – with your own container.
Let’s go!

PDQ 1 (10 mins)

Procedure
  • Place your charged databot™ into your container along with an open cup of vinegar.
  • Seal the container so it is airtight – you don’t want ventilation to interfere with your data readings.
  • Select the VOC sensor option from your Phyphox menu.
  • Connect to databot™ and activate the Phyphox recording feature.
  • Watch the data.  The image shown here was generated very rapidly over just a few minutes.
  • Leave your experiment running and think about the following questions.

Deep Thoughts with databot™

  • What do you observe happening with the vinegar?  
  • VOCs are defined as compounds that evaporate at room temperature, does your data indicate that it is a steady rate of evaporation?
  • Review the introduction to this PDQ – what levels were described as hazardous to health? Is the environment in your container possibly dangerous?
  • With your data display continuing to run, open the container and allow air to circulate into the container.  What happens to the VOC levels when fresh air circulates into the container?
  • Could you smell the vaporized vinegar when you opened the container?

The Hunt for Wild VOCs

Now that you know about volatile organic compounds and their potential threat to your health let’s check out your classroom or home for possible dangers!

Identify 10 likely places that might be outgassing VOCs. Some places to check:

  • Under the kitchen or bathroom sink.
  • In the garage.
  • Test rubber and plastics on toys or housewares.
  • If you have new carpet or floors, test them.   

Use the following chart to note your findings.  Good hunting!

Keep your finished chart handy, you’ll be needing it for the next PDQ!

More Air Quality Investigations Coming Up!

Great work! Let’s get on to the next PDQ! Ready. Set. Go!

Next Step, Another PDQ!

Go!

Educator Info

Educator Info

  • Study the background information in the Overview and familiarize yourself with the learning objectives and terms for this activity.
  • Test the VOC reading in your app and conduct the PDQ yourself before conducting it for your class.
  • Review the guiding questions to help guide the student experience.
  • If students have potential respiratory problems such as asthma be extra careful with the closed container experiment.

Understand:

 

  • Indoor air quality can affect your health and your ability to concentrate. 
  • Volatile Organic Compounds are emitted by a variety of chemicals into the air and can have an adverse affect on your health.
  • You can make your home and work environment safer by understanding the sources of VOCs and reducing your exposure to them.
  • Scientific sensors allow us to measure the scientific world around us with better precision and accuracy.

Acetic Acid Molecule Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay

VOC Spray Bottle Photo by JESHOOTS.COM on Unsplash

Binocular Hunting Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay

Something in the Air by Robert O. Grover & Team databot™ is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at databot.us.com/contact.