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- Formaldehyde emission controls from wood products Overseas
OverseasThere is no consistent approach to management of indoor air quality between countries. The most common activities undertaken include research, provision of information, education and training, encouragement of incentive schemes (such as environmental labelling), and emissions control. Generally, countries have no specific legislation for indoor air quality, and usually no single agency with full responsibility for the issue. As in Australia, regulations whose primary purpose is other than indoor air quality are the ones that address and impact on indoor air quality, e.g. building codes, consumer product safety regulations, hazardous chemical regulations. However, the WHO has been active in encouraging the national development of indoor air quality policies through documents, such as ‘Strategic Approaches to Indoor Air Policy-Making’ (WHO, 1999) and a charter on the ‘Right to Healthy Indoor Air’ (WHO, 2000b), which provide guidance on policy-making. Very few countries have established limit values for individual indoor pollutants. A paper by Maynard (2000) listed the countries that have established indoor limits for formaldehyde (Table 18.1b). Table 18.1b: Overseas indoor air guidelines Country Guideline concentration Averaging period Canada 120 g/m3 For carcinogenicity: 120 g/m3 ‘Action Level’1 60 g/m3 ‘Target Level’2 5 min. Not stated
Germany 100 ppb (120 g/m3) Not stated Norway 100 g/m3 30 min. Poland 50 g/m3 100 g/m3 24 h
below it. Canada Canada established a voluntary guideline for indoor residential air quality for formaldehyde in 1987 (see Table 18.1b). The guidelines are not mandatory or enforceable, but have been approved by government departments in Canada. The guideline is considered to be the lowest level practical at which there appears to be no undue public health effects. The target value is a longer-term objective, given for carcinogenic or potentially carcinogenic substances. It recognises that a continuing effort should be made to reduce exposure to the lowest possible level, and that the goal must be considered in light of the cost and feasibility of remedial measures and technological changes. Health Canada is currently reviewing this guideline based on a review of the new data on health effects for formaldehyde. United States No indoor air quality guideline values have been established by the US federal government. Regulation of indoor air quality in the US is not centralised in a single agency. Rather, various federal and state agencies and non-governmental organisations have set their own standards. For example, in 1985, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) established a national indoor air standard of 400 ppb for formaldehyde in manufactured homes (US CPSC, 1997). In addition, since 1985 manufactured homes must be constructed with materials that meet formaldehyde emissions limits set by HUD (see Section 18.2.1). In California, two exposure guidelines are given: an Action Level exposure guideline, the lowest concentration considered to be feasible at the present time for formaldehyde, is set at 100 ppb (120 ug/m3), and a Target value has been set at 50 ppb (60 g/m3) (no average testing period stated).
Europe European industry has generally adopted a formaldehyde emission classification system for particleboard and MDF that was set by Germany in 1980 and was updated in 2003 (EN312:2003 and EN612-1:2003, respectively). Under this system, products are classed E1 and E2 according to emission results obtained by a specified test method. This system has now evolved and is based on Small Chamber Test, standardized as ISO/CD 12460, which determines an equilibrium formaldehyde concentration (g/m3). A simpler “perforator’ method (European Standard DIN EN 120) was developed to provide a more practical and rapid classification. The European product classification system is shown in Table 18.2. Table 18.2: Classification of particleboard and MDF in Europe Class Equilibrium formaldehyde concentration* (g/m3) Perforator Method (mg/100g) E1 ≤124 ≤8 E2 > 124 > 8-30 *Equilibrium formaldehyde concentration is based on Small Chamber Test protocol ISO/CD 12460. A number of European countries have established regulations on use of some wood-based products based on formaldehyde emission limits (EC, 2003) and they are summarised in Table 18.3. Table 18.3: Formaldehyde emission limits for wood-based products in European countries Country Regulation Austria Derived timber products, i.e. chipboards, coated chipboards, etc. shall not be placed on the market if, at equilibrium, the formaldehyde concentration caused by the derived timber product in the air of a test room exceeds 0.1 ppm. Denmark Particleboards, other wood-based products and insulation foam emitting formaldehyde - the maximum emitted formaldehyde is 0.15 mg/m³ measured in a test room of 225 litres under standard conditions. Finland Particleboards, other wood-based products, furniture and insulation foam emitting formaldehyde - the formaldehyde content of room air is not allowed to be higher than 0.15 mg/m³ in air measured according to the Finnish standard SFS 3862. Germany Coated and uncoated derived timber products (particleboard, wood core plywood, veneered board and fibreboard) may not be placed on the market if the equilibrium concentration of formaldehyde resulting from the derived timber products in the air of a test chamber exceeds 0.1 ppm. Sweden Wood-based boards must not be placed on the market, transferred or used if the emission limit of 0.13 mg/m³ is exceeded when tested in a 1 m³ test room. In Europe, phenolic bonded products are exempt from testing of emission levels under the Harmonised European Standard prEN 13986. Under this standard, phenolic bonded products may be labelled with an E1 emission level without any requirements for testing. Japan The Japan Agricultural Standards (JAS) and Japan Industrial Standards (JIS) have set formaldehyde emission limits for wood-based products. These limits, together with signs for labelling of products, were revised in 2003 (JPIC, 2004) and are shown in Table 18.4. Table 18.4: JAS/JIS formaldehyde emission limits for wood-based products Former Limits Revised Limits Equivalent to the EU Sign Formaldehyde emission Sign (star Formaldehyde emission system
Using Desiccator test method The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure & Transportation (MLIT) in Japan is responsible for overseeing enforcement of Building Standards Law (BSL). In response to public health concerns associated with the “sick house” syndrome, BSL promulgated amendments to the regulation concerning formaldehyde emission from building materials that are used in interior finishing in July 2002. These materials include plywood, wooden flooring, structural panels, glued laminated lumber, LVL, MDF, particleboard, urea resin board, wallpaper and adhesives. In July 2003, the MLIT implemented the new regulations and the details of the restrictions are summarised in Table 18.5. The amendments to the BSL also included mandatory installation of ventilation equipment and restrictions related to ceiling cavities. Table 18.5: Japanese Building Standard Law restrictions on interior finishing materials Building Materials Stipulated in the BSL Name JIS/JAS systems Restrictions# Type 1 Formaldehyde emitting building materials Type 2 Formaldehyde emitting building materials Type 3 Formaldehyde emitting building materials F (1 star) Use prohibited F (2 stars) Limited area of use+ F (3 stars) Limited area of use+ F (4 stars) No restrictions # There are no restrictions on materials which have been used as parts of buildings for > 5 years. + The area size of type 2 and 3 formaldehyde emitting building materials which can be used as interior finishing materials are restricted according to the type of habitable room and the frequency of ventilation. JAS, Japanese Agricultural Standard; JIS, Japanese Industrial Standard. United States Standards for certain wood products used in the installation of manufactured homes were established by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in 1985. A limit of 0.2 ppm measured by a specified air chamber test method is set for plywood emissions and 0.3 ppm for particleboard emissions (HUD, 1999). The HUD has permitted only the use of plywood and particleboards that conform to the above specified formaldehyde emission limits in the construction of prefabricated and manufactured homes since then. Phenolic bonded plywood products are exempt from certification of formaldehyde emission levels in the US under Section II.C.3 of HUD Rule 24 CFR 3280, as the emissions are considered too low to be significant. No changes to these standards were made by a review in 2002 (http://frwebgate1.access.gpo.gov/, accessed 20/06/03). Directory: data -> assets -> word doc -> 0006 word doc -> Commonwealth of Australia 2002 word doc -> Commonwealth of Australia 2000 word doc -> Priority Existing Chemical word doc -> Rail safety news issue 6 – October 2011 word doc -> Review of Multiple Chemical Sensitivity: Identifying 0006 -> Board Endorsed October 2009 amended 13-09-11 with extra units 0006 -> Rt Hon Andrew Lansley cbe mp secretary of State for Health 0006 -> Environmental Approvals Application Form Use this form Download 5.77 Mb. Share with your friends:
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