Health & Environmental Research Online (HERO)


Print Feedback Export to File
28565 
Book/Book Chapter 
Emission of formaldehyde and other volatile organic compounds from sawdust and lumber, different wood-based panels, and other building materials: a comparative study 
Sundin, EB; Risholm-Sundman, M; Edenholm, K 
1992 
151-171 
WOS:A1992BY59V00011 
A number of commonly used building and fitting materials have been studied with regard to the emission of volatile organic compounds and formaldehyde. Tested materials included planed pine lumber, coated and raw particle board of different ages, MDF, hardboard, plywood, and gypsum board. Sawdust and shavings have also been included in the study. With the help of a special device, air was sucked from the surfaces of the materials and adsorbed on charcoal and Tenax tubes. The adsorbed volatile organic compounds were determined by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The emission of formaldehyde was deter-mined separately with other methods. The investigation showed the most emitted volatile organic compounds to be terpenes, aldehydes, and aromatics. These results are in line with similar investigations in the field. Pinewood plank revealed the highest volatile organic compounds (value, approximately 920 "mu"g/m3). Fresh particleboard showed the second highest value with 430 "mu"g/m3. On the average, the volatile organic compound value of the examined materials was around 200 "mu"g/m3. Six month old particleboard had the lowest volatile organic compound value of all materials with an emission of only 50 "mu"g/m3. The composition of the emitted compounds were remarkably similar for the different materials. The low volatile organic compound emissions from the investigated board materials does not verify the hypothesis that these materials provide a tangible contribution to volatile organic compounds in the indoor air. Emissions of formaldehyde from the board materials studied were - with one exception -very low. The exception was MDF with an emission value of 0.8 ppm formaldehyde whereas all the other materials examined had values around 0.1 ppm or appreciably lower. Further into the study, formaldehyde emission and perforator values of Swedish El particleboard were studied during the period of 1988-1991. The study embraced nine plants and a total of 242 specimens. Totally, for the four year period, the mean values varied for the perforator value between 4.7 and 7.1 mg/l00 g and for the approved emission values (
In: Proceedings of the 26th Washington State University international particleboard/composite materials symposium. Pullman, WA: Washington State University; pp. 151-171.