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 Formaldehyde is a chemical used widely by industry to manufacture building materials and numerous office and household products. It is also a by-product of combustion and certain decay and other natural processes. See HBN/GHSI fact sheet “Formaldehyde Found in Building Materials,” which provides an overview of concerns with formaldehyde, particularly as it is used as a binder in casework and insulation.
Health Impacts
Regulatory Efforts to Reduce Exposure The California Air Resources Board established new regulations in April 2007 to regulate formaldehyde emissions from composite wood products, including particle board, MDF (medium density fiberboard), and interior plywood. The two step process set limits on emissions for products manufactured after January 1, 2009 that will be roughly equivalent to the majority of the European and Japanese standards and will exceed them with stricter limits in 2010 (and 2012 for some products). these standards will not eliminate the addition of formaldehyde during product manufacture, but will make formaldehyde free alternatives much more competitive. HBN thanks all of those who particiapted in our effort to help pass these precedent setting California regulations. that help get us back in a leadership position on improving the health of our materials and shold help stop the dumping of toxic materials on the U.S.
Sources of Formaldehyde in Buildings Other sources of formaldehyde in the home also can include smoking, clothes, upholstery and draperies (it is used for fabric treatments such as permanent press), glues, paints and other coatings, fiberglass insulation, other household products, and the use of un-vented, fuel-burning appliances, like gas stoves or kerosene space heaters. (source EPA website on Sources of Indoor Air Pollution - Formaldehyde)
Alternatives to Urea-Formaldehyde The most widely used completely formaldehyde-free alternative resins are MDI (methylene diphenyl isocyanate) and PVA (polyvinyl acetate). Despite its name, PVA is not closely related to PVC. Without chlorine in its molecule it avoids many of the worst problems that PVC has in its lifecycle (see HBN fact sheet Sorting Out the Vinyls). Nonetheless, while better for the user with lower emissions, both of these resins, like formaldehyde, are derived from fossil fuels and hence still have toxic chemical problems associated with their manufacture. For an analysis of the current resin binder alternatives used in lieu of formaldehyde for MDF, particleboard, and wheatboard, see “Alternative Resin Binders for Particleboard, Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF), and Wheatboard.” HBN encourages manufacturers to continue to explore seek safer green chemistry alternatives. Most promising alternative is the soy based adhesive Columbia Forest Products has developed for plywood called PureBond - a non toxic, renewable, and cost neutral alternative. Links:
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