Initial formaldehyde emission levels for particleboard manufactured in the United States

Formaldehyde is an important component of most adhesives used in pressed wood products. It is used in urea-formaldehyde (UF) adhesives, the primary bonding agents for particleboard, medium density fiberboard (MDF), and hardwood plywood. When UF adhesives are used to bond wood-based panels, small amounts of free formaldehyde are emitted for a period of time after manufacture. Formaldehyde’s role in indoor air quality continues to be widely studied by scientists and regulatory agencies. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other regulatory agencies carry out exposure assessments, which are estimates of the long-term exposure that building occupants could have to formaldehyde emissions from pressed-wood products and other sources. Since formaldehyde emissions from wood products decrease with time (“decay”), long-term exposure estimates require an understanding of both the initial emission levels and the emission decay rates of the products in question. Decay rates have been studied by Zinn et al. This technical note describes a database compiled by the National Particleboard Association on initial formaldehyde emission levels for particleboard manufactured in the United States.

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