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WISCONSINPA <br /> DEPARTMENT OF <br /> HEALTH SERVICES <br /> About DHS Topics A-Z Programs&Services Partners& Providers Reference Center <br /> Vapor Intrusion <br /> (for a printable version of this page, click here) <br /> What is vapor intrusion? <br /> Vapor intrusion is a way that chemicals in soil or <br /> groundwater can get into indoor air. (see figure at <br /> right) Sometimes, chemicals are spilled on the <br /> ground at a factory or leak from an underground <br /> storage tank. These chemicals can seep down into <br /> the soil and groundwater. Some chemicals can also travel through soil <br /> as vapors. These vapors may then move up through the soil and into <br /> nearby buildings, contaminating indoor air. Homes in the same <br /> neighborhood and right next to each other can be affected differently by <br /> vapor intrusion. Vapor intrusion is similar to how radon, a naturally <br /> occurring radioactive gas, can enter a home through cracks in the <br /> foundation. Vapor intrusion is uncommon, but should be considered <br /> whenever there is a known source of soil or groundwater contamination <br /> nearby. <br /> What chemicals might be entering my home, and where would <br /> they come from? <br /> VOCs (volatile organic compounds) are one group of chemicals that <br /> easily become gases which can migrate through the soil and enter <br /> buildings. Some examples of VOCs are petroleum products such as <br /> gasoline or diesel fuel, and solvents for dry cleaning and industrial uses. <br /> The most common vapor intrusion cases involve petroleum spilled or <br /> leaked from underground storage tanks at gas stations. These cases are <br /> usually accompanied by a petroleum odor. Solvents from other <br /> commercial sites and industrial sites are usually not accompanied by an <br /> odor. In many cases, chemical and petroleum releases are not <br /> immediately discovered. By the time they are discovered, the <br /> contamination has had time to migrate through the soil. <br /> Some of these same solvents are also found in household products which <br /> may be stored in your home. Paints, paint strippers and thinners, <br /> cigarette smoke, aerosol sprays, moth balls, air fresheners, new <br /> carpeting or furniture, hobby supplies (glues and solvents), stored fuels, <br /> and dry-cleaned clothing all contain VOCs. For this reason, household <br /> products are more likely to be a source of indoor air quality <br /> problems at your home than vapor intrusion from a <br />