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GBlist: HCHO in Materials
Just received a copy of the California study, "Determination of
Formaldehyde and Toluene Diisocyanate Emissions from Indoor Residential
Sources", courtesy of Ms. Peggy Jenkins at Indoor Air Quality Research
Division of the California Environmental Protection Agency (916) 323-1504.
The agency tested a variety of home products for formaldehyde emissions.
The study contains a lot of very interesting information and is well worth
a read. Related to our recent discussions about the emissions of
formaldehyde from composite wood products, the testing found significant
differences in emissions rates between products made from
urea-formaldehyude and phenol-formaldehyde glues.
For example, the typical emissions rate from dry 1/4" particleboard was
1580 mg/m2/hr; while the rate from dry 3/4" plywood was 8 mg/m2/hr.
In general, the particleboards and fiberboards tested much higher in
emissions than plywood or OSB.
The highest emissions rate among the building products was from a product
described as a commercially-applied, two-coat "acid-cured floor
finish"--when wet, the base coat's initial emission rate was 1,050,000
mg/m2/hr!
Mike
O'Brien & Associates
Environmental Building Consultants
Portland General Electric Earth Smart program
obrien@hevanet.com
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