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Evaluation (BASE) Study Volatile Organic Compounds Master List 

Building Assessment Survey and Evaluation 

(BASE) Study 

Volatile Organic Compounds Master List 

Contents

100% Building Frequency of Detection Indoors 

75% - 99% Building Frequency of Detection Indoors 

1% - 74% Building Frequency of Detection Indoors 

Not Detected in BASE Study Buildings Indoors 

100% Building Frequency of Detection Indoors

Click on the Analyte (Chemical Name) in the chart below to display an 

Adobe Acrobat PDF file displaying the concentration distribution of the chemical across all 

sampling sites both indoors and outdoors. We have provided as background, a Box-andWhisker Plot chart that describes the typical spread of data: 

Click on the image for a larger version 

PDF Version (PDF, 1 page, 30KB) 

You will need the 

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Reader to view PDF 

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page. See EPA's 

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more.

Analyte (Indoors)

Number

of 

Buildings

Building 

Frequency

Detected 

Indoors 

(%)

Analyte 

Concentration 

Indoors 

Percentile 

(ug/m3)

Analyte 

Concentration 

Indoors 

Arithmetic Mean

(ug/m3 5th 50th 95th )

Acetaldehyde 86 100 2.6 7.2 15 7.8

Acetone 70 100 9.9 30 110 42

Benzene 70 100 1.1 3.6 9.1 4.2

Nonanal 41 100 1.5 3.6 7.9 4.3

Toluene 70 100 2.7 8.7 39 16

IAQ in Large Buildings

Last updated on Wednesday, October 22nd, 2008.

http://www.epa.gov/iaq/base/voc_master_list.html

Volatile Organic Compounds Master List | Building Assessment Survey and Evaluation (... Page 1 of 5

http://www.epa.gov/iaq/base/voc_master_list.html 6/16/2009
75% - 99% Building Frequency of Detection Indoors

Click on the Analyte (Chemical Name) in the chart below to display an Adobe Acrobat PDF file 

displaying the concentration distribution of the chemical across all sampling sites both 

indoors and outdoors. We have provided a chart (in Adobe Acrobat PDF format) that 

describes the information provided in these statistical plots. 

1,1,1-

Trichloroethane

70 100 0.97 3.1 21 11

Chloromethane 87 100 1.8 2.5 4.3 2.9

Ethylbenzene 70 100 0.43 1.5 6.2 2.4

Formaldehyde 100 100 4.4 15 32 16

m- & p-Xylenes 70 100 1.3 5.1 24 8.4

n-Decane 70 100 0.79 2.9 24 6.3

n-Dodecane 70 100 0.99 3.5 14 5.4

n-Undecane 70 100 0.96 4.0 19 6.3

o-Xylene 70 100 0.59 2.1 8.2 3.1

1,2,4-

Trimethylbenzene

70 100 0.61 1.9 12 3.3

d-Limonene 70 100 1.1 7.1 44 12

Hexanal 41 100 1.5 4.1 12 5.4

Phenol 41 100 0.38 1.8 7.3 2.5

Ethyl Acetate 70 100 0.34 2.0 7.5 3.7

Tetrachloroethene 70 100 0.3 1.5 18 3.8

2,2,4-Trimethyl-1,

3-Pentanediol

Diisobutyrate

41 100 0.26 0.74 2.4 1.1

2-Ethyl-1-Hexanol 41 100 0.26 1.2 5.1 1.8

Nonane 70 100 ≤ 

LOQ

0.94 10 2.8

Ethanol 13 100 ≤ 

LOQ

79 260 89

2-Propanol 13 100 ≤ 

LOQ

30 320 73

Note: Time-integrated air sampling for VOCs was collected in all 100 study buildings. The 

SUMMA canister method (method CAN) and aldehyde sample method (method ALD) were 

used in all 100 buildings, while the multisorbent method (method TNX) was used for the 

last 70 buildings studied. In addition, because the target VOC analyte list underwent some 

revision over the course of the BASE study, some analytes were sampled at fewer than the 

full 100 buildings. A more detailed discussion of changes in methodology and target 

analytes can be found in the Standardized Protocol (PDF, 311 pp, 1.5MB).

Building 

Analyte 

Concentration 

Analyte 

Concentration 

Volatile Organic Compounds Master List | Building Assessment Survey and Evaluation (... Page 2 of 5

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Analyte (Indoors)

Number

of 

Buildings

Frequency

Detected 

Indoors 

(%)

Indoors 

Percentile 

(ug/m3)

Indoors 

Arithmetic 

Mean 

(ug/m3 5th 50th 95th )

2-Butanone 70 99 0.81 2.6 7.8 3.3

Styrene 70 99 0.091 0.91 3.0 1.3

Octane 70 99 ≤ 

LOQ

0.85 6.4 3.3

2-Butoxyethanol 41 98 0.036 5.5 68 12

n-Hexane 41 98 ≤ 

LOQ

2.5 12 3.9

Valeraldehyde (Pentanal) 41 98 ≤ 

LOQ

1.2 4.0 1.6

Dichlorodifluoromethane 87 97 ≤ 

LOQ

6.8 36 33

4-Ethyltoluene 70 96 ≤ 

LOQ

0.77 4.1 1.3

Butyl Acetate 70 94 ≤ 

LOQ

1.5 10 3.1

a-Pinene 70 94 ≤ 

LOQ

0.57 3.1 0.94

2,2,4-Trimethyl-1, 3-

Pentanediol

monoisobutyratel

41 93 ≤ 

LOQ

2.5 19 5.4

1,3,5-Trimethylbenzene 70 93 ≤ 

LOQ

0.54 3.9 1.0

4-Methyl-2-Pentanone 70 93 ≤ 

LOQ

1.0 7.2 2.2

1-Butanol 41 90 ≤ 

LOQ

2.1 10 3.3

Naphthalene 70 90 ≤ 

LOQ

0.73 2.6 0.95

Methylene Chloride 100 81 ≤ 

LOQ

2.9 16 21

1,4-Dichlorobenzene 70 77 ≤ 

LOQ

0.54 13 2.8

Trichlorofluoromethane 100 73 ≤ 

LOQ

3.9 51 19

Note: Time-integrated air sampling for VOCs was collected in all 100 study buildings. The 

SUMMA canister method (method CAN) and aldehyde sample method (method ALD) were 

used in all 100 buildings, while the multisorbent method (method TNX) was used for the 

last 70 buildings studied. In addition, because the target VOC analyte list underwent some 

revision over the course of the BASE study, some analytes were sampled at fewer than the 

full 100 buildings. A more detailed discussion of changes in methodology and target 

analytes can be found in the Standardized Protocol (PDF, 311 pp, 1.5MB).

Volatile Organic Compounds Master List | Building Assessment Survey and Evaluation (... Page 3 of 5

http://www.epa.gov/iaq/base/voc_master_list.html 6/16/2009
1% - 74% Building Frequency of Detection Indoors

Click on the Analyte (Chemical Name) in the chart below to display an Adobe Acrobat PDF file 

displaying the concentration distribution of the chemical across all sampling sites both 

indoors and outdoors. We have provided a chart (in Adobe Acrobat PDF format) that 

describes the information provided in these statistical plots. 

Analyte (Indoors)

Number

of 

Buildings

Building 

Frequency

Detected 

Indoors 

(%)

Analyte 

Concentration 

Indoors 

Percentile 

(ug/m3)

Analyte 

Concentration 

Indoors 

Arithmetic 

Mean 

(ug/m3 5th 50th 95th )

Carbon Disulfide 87 67 ≤ 

LOQ

≤ 

LOQ

6.4 2.0

Trichloroethene 70 66 ≤ 

LOQ

0.29 2.6 0.76

3-Methyl Pentane 70 64 ≤ 

LOQ

1.4 6.6 2.3

2-Methyl-1-Propanol 13 31 ≤ 

LOQ

≤ 

LOQ

5.3 1.4

Chloroform 87 29 ≤ 

LOQ

≤ 

LOQ

1.3 0.59

t-Butyl Methyl Ether 70 24 ≤ 

LOQ

≤ 

LOQ

14 2.8

n-Heptanal 13 23 ≤ 

LOQ

≤ 

LOQ

2.0 2.1

Trichlorotrifluoroethane 87 21 ≤ 

LOQ

≤ 

LOQ

8.1 2.3

Dimethyl Disulfide 87 14 ≤ 

LOQ

≤ 

LOQ

3.6 2.6

Chlorobenzene 70 13 ≤ 

LOQ

≤ 

LOQ

0.26 0.18

Carbon Tetrachloride 70 8.6 ≤ 

LOQ

≤ 

LOQ

0.74 0.93

4-Phenylcyclohexene 41 7.3 ≤ 

LOQ

≤ 

LOQ

≤ 

LOQ

0.17

Bromomethane 87 6.9 ≤ 

LOQ

≤ 

LOQ

0.12 0.85

1,2-Dichloroethane 87 4.6 ≤ 

LOQ

≤ 

LOQ

≤ 

LOQ

1.1

1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene 29 3.5 ≤ 

LOQ

≤ 

LOQ

≤ 

LOQ

0.38

Chloroethane 87 3.5 ≤ 

LOQ

≤ 

LOQ

≤ 

LOQ

1.4

Volatile Organic Compounds Master List | Building Assessment Survey and Evaluation (... Page 4 of 5

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Not Detected in BASE Study Buildings Indoors

Click on the Analyte (Chemical Name) in the chart below to display an Adobe Acrobat PDF file 

displaying the concentration distribution of the chemical across all sampling sites both 

indoors and outdoors. We have provided a chart (in Adobe Acrobat PDF format) that 

describes the information provided in these statistical plots. 

1,2-Dichlorobenzene 70 2.9 ≤ 

LOQ

≤ 

LOQ

≤ 

LOQ

0.27

Vinyl Chloride 87 1.2 ≤ 

LOQ

≤ 

LOQ

≤ 

LOQ

0.78

1,2-Dibromoethane 87 1.2 ≤ 

LOQ

≤ 

LOQ

≤ 

LOQ

1.1

Note: Time-integrated air sampling for VOCs was collected in all 100 study buildings. The 

SUMMA canister method (method CAN) and aldehyde sample method (method ALD) were 

used in all 100 buildings, while the multisorbent method (method TNX) was used for the 

last 70 buildings studied. In addition, because the target VOC analyte list underwent some 

revision over the course of the BASE study, some analytes were sampled at fewer than the 

full 100 buildings. A more detailed discussion of changes in methodology and target 

analytes can be found in the Standardized Protocol (PDF, 311 pp, 1.5MB).

Analyte (Indoors)

Number

of 

Buildings

Building 

Frequency

Detected 

Indoors 

(%)

Analyte 

Concentration 

Indoors 

Percentile 

(ug/m3)

Analyte 

Concentration 

Indoors 

Arithmetic 

Mean 

(ug/m3 5th 50th 95th )

1,1-Dichloroethane 46 - ≤ 

LOQ

≤ 

LOQ

≤ 

LOQ

-

1,1-Dichloroethene 46 - ≤ 

LOQ

≤ 

LOQ

≤ 

LOQ

-

1,3-Butadiene 13 - ≤ 

LOQ

≤ 

LOQ

≤ 

LOQ

-

Butylated Hydroxytoluene 41 - ≤ 

LOQ

≤ 

LOQ

≤ 

LOQ

-

cis-1,3-Dicholorpropene 46 - ≤ 

LOQ

≤ 

LOQ

≤ 

LOQ

-

Dichlorotetrafluoroethane 46 - ≤ 

LOQ

≤ 

LOQ

≤ 

LOQ

-

trans-1,3-Dichloropropene 46 - ≤ 

LOQ

≤ 

LOQ

≤ 

LOQ

-

Note: Time-integrated air sampling for VOCs was collected in all 100 study buildings. The 

SUMMA canister method (method CAN) and aldehyde sample method (method ALD) were 

used in all 100 buildings, while the multisorbent method (method TNX) was used for the 

last 70 buildings studied. In addition, because the target VOC analyte list underwent some 

revision over the course of the BASE study, some analytes were sampled at fewer than the 

full 100 buildings. A more detailed discussion of changes in methodology and target 

analytes can be found in the Standardized Protocol (PDF, 311 pp, 1.5MB).

Volatile Organic Compounds Master List | Building Assessment Survey and Evaluation (... Page 5 of 5

http://www.epa.gov/iaq/base/voc_master_list.html 6/16/2009
Figure 2: Distribution of BASE VOC Concentrations

at All Sampling Sites

0.01

0.1

1

10

100

1000

10000

Indoors Outdoors Indoors Outdoors Indoors Outdoors Indoors 

Concentration, ug/m

3

1,1,1-Trichloroethane Chloromethane Ethylbenzene Formal

Note: The shaded region represents concentrations below the study's median limit of quantitation (LOQ) for the g
Analyte CAS#

Number of 

Sites6

Site Frequency 

Detected (%)5 Location 5th 25th 50th2 75th 

1,1,1-Trichloroethane 71-55-6 209 99 Indoors 0.97 1.8 3.1 5.5 1,1,1-Trichloroethane 71-55-6 66 65 Outdoors < LOQ 0.41 0.63 1.1 Chloromethane 74-87-3 259 99 Indoors 1.8 2.1 2.5 3.1 Chloromethane 74-87-3 87 99 Outdoors 1.6 2.0 2.3 3.0 

Ethylbenzene 100-41-4 209 99 Indoors 0.43 1.1 1.5 2.8 Ethylbenzene 100-41-4 69 84 Outdoors < LOQ 0.32 0.70 1.2 

Formaldehyde 50-00-0 294 99 Indoors 4.4 9.2 15 21 

Formaldehyde 50-00-0 99 95 Outdoors 0.40 1.4 3.0 5.7 

m- & p-Xylenes 1330-20-7 209 99 Indoors 1.3 3.4 5.1 9.5 

m- & p-Xylenes 1330-20-7 69 92 Outdoors 0.11 1.1 2.4 4.1 

Percentile4

Notes:1. Analytes listed in order of site frequency detected indoors (%).2. Median - the 50th percentile, the value where half the results are less than this value and half are above this value.3. Arithmetic Mean - To compute these statistics, all values less that the LOQ were assigned values of 1/2 the median LOQ  of quantitation (LOQ) for the given analyte and analytical method varied from sample to sample therefore a single value  results that were both less than the LOQ would have no difference.4. Percentile - the value which a given percentage of values in a data set are less than or equal to. For example, the 75th per concentration which 75% of the values are less than or equal to.5. Site Frequency Detected (%) - The percentage of sample sites where the given analyte was detected for the specified sam duplicate sample, if one result was less than the LOQ and one was greater than the LOQ, for the purpose of computation, 6. Generally, there were three sampling sites indoors, and one sampling outdoors site for each building.