Digital BW, The Print

Paul: Yes, you are right, VOC stands for Volatile Organic Compounds.  Allow
me then to complete the picture for other readers, though not in direct
response to your posting as I think these issues are a bit murky to many
people not directly involved in science.

In pine forests you breath VOCs as for example Benzene (associated with
leukemia) and many pinenes (turpentine one of them), some of which are also
used in solvents. When you eat bananas, that nice fruity smell consists of
VOCs, mainly esters.  These are also used in lacquers. Heard of Banana oil?
Yes, that is one of the VOCs in bananas.  That nice cool beer also contains
a VOC, ethyl alcohol, a solvent, and in the case of other 'nice' things like
wine rum and whisky, etc. these not only contain alcohol but other esters as
well.   Swamps any one? those can emit methane gas, a VOC.  Garlic? Onions?
Orange and Lemon peel? lots of VOCs in them.  Skunks? VOCs again.  Looks
like the "organic" "holy grail" is false advertising.  Very "organic" things
can help you or kill you.  Volatile Organic Compounds can be health hazards,
and yes, they can be undesirable pollutants, however, wherever there is life
there are VOCs and many are essential.
If you ever hear any one advocate a "chemical-free world", be kind to and
sorry for the ignorant:  A "Chemical-Free World" would be a vacuum and it
would not even include its proponent.
Julio Fernandez

<<<Message: 4
   Date: Fri, 20 Feb 2004 08:15:22 -0800

   From: "Paul Roark" <paul.roark@...>
Subject: RE: Protection measures for exhibition prints

>.. what are VOC\ufffds?

"Volatile organic compounds" -- This is the broad category of nasty air
pollutants that comes off oil-based paints, our print sprays, and many
products that have solvents or plastics in them.  I'm not a chemist, so I
could be using the term incorrectly.

Paul
www.PaulRoark.com

J