Key facts
Volatile organic compounds (VOC) are applied as solvents in numerous areas and can be found in various products such as paints and varnishes, detergents and cosmetics. They are emitted during production, processing and use of such products. VOC emissions, together with those of nitrogen oxide, are responsible for excessive accumulation of ozone at ground level (summer smog). In Switzerland, the main political instruments to limit and reduce these emissions are the Ordinance on Air Pollution Control of 1986, the restrictive regulations on exhaust emissions for light-weight vehicles up to 3.5 tons of 1987, and the steering tax on VOC of the year 2000.