VOC and Human Guinea Pigs

When I first started researching VOC, I thought they were quite complicated, actually not at all.

Definitions

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) – “VOCs are ground-water contaminants of concern because of very large environmental releases, human toxicity, and a tendency for some compounds to persist in and migrate with ground-water to drinking-water supply wells….In general, VOCs have high vapor pressures, low-to-medium water solubilities, and low molecular weights. Some VOCs may occur naturally in the environment, other compounds occur only as a result of manmade activities, and some compounds have both origins.” - Zogorski and others, 2006
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) – “Volatile organic compounds released into the atmosphere by anthropogenic and natural emissions which are important because of their involvement in photochemical pollution.” - Lincoln and others, 1998
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) – “Hydrocarbon compounds that have low boiling points, usually less than 100ºC, and therefore evaporate readily. Some are gases at room temperature. Propane, benzene, and other components of gasoline are all volatile organic compounds.” - Art, 1993
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) – “VOCs are organic compounds that can be isolated from the water phase of a sample by purging the water sample with inert gas, such as helium, and, subsequently, analyzed by gas chromatography. Many VOCs are human-made chemicals that are used and produced in the manufacture of paints, adhesives, petroleum products, pharmaceuticals, and refrigerants. They often are compounds of fuels, solvents, hydraulic fluids, paint thinners, and dry-cleaning agents commonly used in urban settings. VOC contamination of drinking water supplies is a human-health concern because many are toxic and are known or suspected human carcinogens.” - U.S. Geological Survey, 2005  taken from http://toxics.usgs.gov/definitions/vocs.html
 Health Effects
People with lung disease, children, older adults, and people who are active can be affected when ozone levels are unhealthy. Numerous scientific studies have linked ground-level ozone exposure to a variety of problems, including:

• airway irritation, coughing, and pain when taking a deep breath;
• wheezing and breathing difficulties during exercise or outdoor activities;
• inflammation, which is much like a sunburn on the skin; 
• aggravation of asthma and increased susceptibility to respiratory illnesses like pneumonia and bronchitis; and,
• permanent lung damage with repeated exposures. 
• http://www.epa.gov/air/emissions/voc.htm this site give additional information on programs to reduce VOCs 
• In the earth's lower atmosphere, ground-level ozone is considered "bad." Motor vehicle exhaust and industrial emissions, gasoline vapors, and chemical solvents as well as natural sources emit NOx and VOC that help form ozone. Ground-level ozone is the primary constituent of smog. Sunlight and hot weather cause ground-level ozone to form in harmful concentrations in the air. As a result, it is known as a summertime air pollutant. Many urban areas tend to have high levels of "bad" ozone, but even rural areas are also subject to increased ozone levels because wind carries ozone and pollutants that form it hundreds of miles away from their original sources.
• This is a small amount of the information, there is much available, but all  seem to translate into the fact that nothing about all these chemical VOCs is good for anything or anyone. 
• http://mha-times.com/news/local-news/bakken-pollution-catches-everyone-by-surprise/53
• This is another quite interesting article published in 2009 some of the more interesting text
  A new source of pollution is escaping from all Bakken oil sites and regulators and operators are trying to figure out how much and what to do about it.
  Lynn Helms, director of the state's Department of Mineral Resources, said the Bakken-only situation does have serious environmental implications.
  The State Health Department and the Environmental Protection Agency are working with major Bakken producers to accurately measure how many tons of hydrocarbon called "volatile organic compounds," are being emitted, a number that easily could be into the tens of thousands of tons, if not higher.
  So from all the information given above and available, do you as a citizen of North Dakota feel like a guinea pig in an experiment as to just how much toxic chemical pollution a persons lungs can absorb before death?  Of course this study is generalized to certain areas.