Vapor intrusion is a serious problem that faces many homes and offices around the country, and the problem continues to get worse as the pollution of the groundwater continues to worsen as well. There are many companies that have to deal with this problem, but many people have no idea that this problem even exists. In order to ensure that your company or home remains as clean and pollution-free as possible, it is essential to learn as much as possible about this potential hazard that could do serious damage to your building and the people occupying it.

Vapor Intrusion is the name given to the problem when chemicals filter into the groundwater and make their way into the air inside a building. Chemicals may be spilled by a company or factory, or they may leak from some kind of underground storage tank. Regardless of where the chemicals come from, suffice it to say that they leak through the groundwater and travel through the ground in the form of vapors. When the vapors come up through the soil and into the air, they can contaminate the air inside a building. There is often no way for owners of properties to know that they will be the victims of this problem, as many fail to do sufficient site assessment tests to determine whether or not a property is safe and environmentally friendly.

The strange thing is that two adjoining properties can be affected by the vapors in completely different ways. One home may suffer from no vapor whatsoever, while a home 15 feet away may have serious problems. Radon leaks up through the ground and into the air through cracks in a home’s foundation, and the vapors act in exactly the same way. It is not the most common environmental problem, but it is one that property owners should still be wary of when considering whether or not to purchase a parcel of land or a building.

There are certain chemical compounds that are more likely to migrate through the soil, and these chemical compounds are known as VOC. These vapors are often caused by petroleum or diesel being absorbed into the ground,

such as when an underground fuel storage tank cracks and leaks its contents into the earth. Some commercial sites allow solvents and chemical products to soak into the earth, or the drainage and waste disposal system is cracked, and thus the chemicals leak into the ground and become VOCs. Some chemicals can soak into the ground via paint thinners, paints, aerosol sprays, hobby supplies, and a host of other items found around the house.

There are many health problems that can be caused by these vapors when they leak into the atmosphere of your home. Most people will experience headaches, eye pains, and nausea when the air gets filled with the smell of the chemical vapors, and the smell is an indication that there is something seriously wrong. Some doctors believe that being exposed to these vapors for long periods of time will often lead to the development of cancer, but this usually happens when the person living in a house is exposed to only lower levels of chemicals but over a very long period of many years.

The good news is that this intrusion of vapor is a much smaller problem than you might think. Most homes are not at risk of vapor intruding into their air, as the city government usually takes special care to ensure that the cleanup of commercial and industrial sites doesn’t cause damage to the environment. Most governments will take samples of the groundwater and soil near the site of suspected VOC contamination, and these samples are analyzed to determine whether or not something is really wrong.

There are many things that you can do to ensure that you are at as little risk of this problem as possible, and the best thing to do is to avoid living anywhere near a place that could possibly be a site of VOC contamination. Living far away from factories, processing plants, and gas stations is a great way to ensure that your home is as vapor-free as possible, as there will be little chance of the vapor traveling through the ground for miles just to come up through your home’s foundation. You will find that choosing a good residential area far from commercial and industrial areas may be more costly, but it will be the best way to ensure that you are as safe and risk-free as possible.

About The Author: Calvin B. Villanueva has written this article.