A volatile question
VOCs are more than just a man-made problem. Anthony King looks through the wood to the trees
The aroma of a pine forest on a warm summer day is down to volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Cedar, cypress and eucalyptus owe their pungent aromas to their unique blends of these organics. With climate change, we are set for more VOCs and a more fragrant world.
Well known natural VOCs include limonene in citrus, linalool in lavender and pinene in pine, but over a thousand are known. One compound – isoprene, C5H8 (2-methyl-1,3-butadiene) – has stood out to researchers due to the sheer quantities produced and its reactivity.
Predicting VOC emissions and influence is much more complex than thought – this can be affected by seasons, weather, differences between and within species, and by stress and disease.