Photochemical ozone creation potential

The Photochemical Ozone Creation Potential (POCP) scale quantifies the relative abilities of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to produce ground level ozone.

Ozone can be formed when chemical reactions between oxides of nitrogen (NOX ) and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC), also known as Hydrocarbons are caused either near the ground or in the atmosphere by heat and sunlight.

POCP is an environmental impact indicator of EN 15804:2012+A2:2019/AC:2021, which is used as guidance in the generation of the lifecycle assessment (LCA) methodology used to create product environmental footprints (PEF). It is also one of the environmental performance indicators for the calculation, assessment and generation of environmental product declarations (EPDs).

In the same way that the global warming potential (GWP) of different pollutants are converted to ratios CO2 equivalent figures, POCP values are usually calculated to a non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs) equivalent figure, using atmospheric boundary layer models containing detailed representations of atmospheric VOC degradation chemistry.

Examples, unspecified emissions to air, unspecified location:

• 1 kg nitrogen oxides = 1 kg NMVOC eq.
• 1 kg carbon monoxide (fossil) = 0.0456 kg NMVOC eq.
• 1 kg acetic acid = 0.164 kg NMVOC eq.

(refs, LOTOS-EUROS as applied in ReCiPe, EN 15804. Version: August 2021, Van Zelm et al. 2008, ReCiPe 2008)

[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings

• Global warming potential.
• Hazardous substances.
• Pollution.
• Smog.
• Volatile organic compounds VOC.
• Workplace exposure limits.