Limonene from a cleaning product and benzene from a solvent both raise a TVOC reading. Only one of them is a regulated carcinogen — this badge tells you which one you have.
Consumer TVOC gadgets return one combined number, but the risk depends entirely on which compounds are present. Limonene from a citrus cleaner and benzene from a solvent both raise a TVOC reading — only one is a regulated carcinogen.
VOCs come from paint, adhesives, cleaning products, air fresheners, gasoline, new flooring and craft supplies. Which one dominates a room isn't guessable, and it determines whether the answer is 'open a window' or 'find the source.' A named compound points at a named source; a TVOC index points nowhere.
Open the sealed pouch and immediately write down the exact start time. Place the badge at breathing height (3–5 ft), in the middle of the room, away from vents, windows, purifiers and direct sun — nothing draped over it. Leave it undisturbed for 8 to 12 hours (a working day or overnight) while living normally.
Seal it back in the pouch, record the end time, and post it the same day. Return within 14 days of use. Note: longer deployments can under-report the lightest, most volatile compounds — for a week-long average the manufacturer's method is multiple badges averaged, not one badge left out longer.
The badge holds a bed of activated charcoal behind a diffusion barrier. Vapour molecules cross that barrier at a known rate and adsorb onto the charcoal — no pump, silent, no power, and it can't fail mid-run the way a pump can.
At the laboratory the charcoal is solvent-desorbed and the extract is run on gas chromatography with mass spectrometry. The chromatograph separates the mixture in time; the mass spectrometer identifies each compound by its fragmentation pattern. Because the sampling rate for each compound is known, the mass recovered converts into a time-weighted average concentration. That's the whole reason to buy a lab badge over a consumer meter: it names each chemical instead of summing everything into one figure.
Independently operated, with no ties to filter, purifier or remediation companies. Every badge is analyzed by an accredited laboratory under a named, validated method, with a documented chain of custody — and your data is yours.
Order today, expose the badge at home, and mail it back in the prepaid mailer.
For informational & screening purposes. This is a laboratory analysis of the air sampled — not a medical diagnosis.