Formaldehyde Release Rate Coefficients from Selected Consumer Products

Abstract

Formaldehyde (CH2O) release was measured for seven types of consumer products: pressed wood, urea formaldehyde foam materials, clothes, insulation, paper, fabric, and carpet. A modified Japanese Industrial Standard (JIS) desiccator test was used to measure release rate coefficients and to rank 53 products. Ten pressed wood products and five urea formaldehyde foam products showed the highest CH2O releases (1-34 mg·m-2·day-1). The remainder, representing all product types, had lower releases ranging from 680 μg·m-2·day-1 to nondetectable levels. In other studies, CH2O release was measured in a ventilated chamber for single samples of particle board, plywood, insulation, and carpet. When the combined CH2O release was measured with both particle board and one other product type (plywood, insulation, or carpet) in the chamber, the values obtained were less than the sum of that released when each product was tested individually. This finding suggested that CH2O released from particle board was reabsorbed by the second product (plywood, insulation or carpet) being tested.