Organic contaminants - Indoor Environmental Quality - page 97

Table 4.3 Formaldehyde Emissions from Construction Materials,

Furnishings, and Consumer Products
Product Emission rate range ( µ g/m

2

/day)

Medium-density fiberboard 17,600-55,000

Hardwood plywood paneling 1500-34,000

Particle board 2000-25,000

UFFI 1200-19,200

Softwood plywood 240-720

Paper products 260-280

Fiberglass products 400-470

Clothing 35-570

Source: Data extracted from Pickrell, J.A. et al., Environ. Sci. Tech ., 17, 753, 1983;

, Consumer Product Safety Commission,
Washington, D.C., 1984; and Grot, R.A. et al.

Matthews, T.G., CPSC-IAG-84-1103

, NBSIR 85-3225 , National Bureau

of Standards, Washington, D.C., 1985.

emission rates from a variety of construction materials and consumer prod-
ucts available in the early 1980s marketplace are summarized in Table 4.3 .
Pressed wood products have been the major source of HCHO contam-
ination in indoor environments. Particle board has been used as underlay-
ment in conventional homes; floor decking in manufactured homes; compo-
nents of cabinetry, furniture, and a variety of consumer products; and as a
decorative wall paneling. Because of marketplace changes, it is now little
used as underlayment in conventional houses, and fewer than 50% of new
manufactured homes are constructed with particle board floor decking.
Hardwood plywood has been used as a decorative wall covering and as a
component in cabinets, furniture, and wood doors. Medium-density fiber
board has been used in cabinet, furniture, and wood door manufacture. Acid-
cured finishes, which often contain a mixture of urea and melamine-form-
aldehyde resins, are used as finish coatings on exterior wood cabinet com-
ponents, fine wood furniture, and hardwood flooring.
Urea-formaldehyde foam insulation or similar products are occasionally
used to retrofit insulate houses in North America and are commonly used
in the United Kingdom. Prior to a ban by the Consumer Product Safety
Commission (CPSC) in the U.S. (subsequently voided in a federal appeals
court) and a ban by the Canadian government in the early 1980s, UFFI was
applied in over 500,000 U.S. residences and 80,000 in Canada.
Formaldehyde concentrations in U.S. residences based on data collected
in the late '70s to mid '80s are summarized in Table 4.4 . As indicated previ-
ously, significant improvements (reduced emission rates) in UF-bonded
wood products have occurred since the mid '80s, and there have been
changes in products used in construction. As a consequence, HCHO levels
in building environments (particularly residences) are significantly lower in
houses built since 1990 than in those constructed previously. Formaldehyde
levels in new mobile homes are rarely >0.20 ppmv, and are more likely to
be in the range of 0.05 to 0.15 ppmv. In other new residential buildings