Formaldehyde is an organic compound that is harmful to human health. Therefore, engineered wood boards meeting E1, E0 standards with low formaldehyde emissions are recommended for use in construction and interior.
Concentration of formaldehyde in the atmosphere
Atmospheric formaldehyde concentrations are generally very low and range from 0.1 to 0.2 ppm. However, in cities with high traffic density, because combustion produces emissions, formaldehyde concentrations will be higher than normal. In the indoor environment, formaldehyde levels can increase due to smoking, emissions from gas stoves and furniture. The lower the air exchange, the fewer windows, and the less ventilation, the greater the amount of formaldehyde, about 0.4 to 0.8 ppm (cigarette smoke can be up to 80ppm).
An issue that has also received much attention in recent times is the emission from urea-formaldehyde foam used in houses for insulation purposes. Even in food groups such as fruits, vegetables, frozen meat and fish, milk and cheese are good sources of this organic compound. Formaldehyde can be created in the atmosphere for a variety of reasons. It is believed to be one of the most common molecules in the universe and has been found in interstellar space.
Formaldehyde emitted from wood
Urea-formaldehyde glue is the main binder used in the manufacture of industrial wood materials. For decades, countries have been and continue to work to reduce formaldehyde emissions from wood furniture. The ultimate goal is to produce boards with the same emissions as untreated natural wood. Currently, Europe and developed countries only allow the use of boards meeting E1, E0 standards; In Vietnam, game E2 is still accepted.
Formaldehyde released from wood depends on many factors, typically the wood species, the moisture content of the wood and the drying conditions. Live trees also have formaldehyde, but only in very low amounts.
With particle board, the size of the wood chips and pressing temperature also affect the concentration of formaldehyde emissions. In research with pine wood as a raw material, scientists have found that the smaller the particle size, the more formaldehyde emissions increase. High temperature and prolonged pressing time are also proportional to the amount of formaldehyde released.
Nature and each invention serving human life always have potential risks besides usefulness. Therefore, when industrial wood is developed and widely applied, the level of safety and human friendliness is also more concerned. This is clearly shown in the trend of choosing industrial wood boards with low formaldehyde emission concentrations (E1 and E0 boards).