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A Solution to the Particleboard Problem?
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Companies in the particleboard industry have disputed the need for reducing emissions to these levels. They say that they have voluntarily reduced formaldehyde emissions from their products by 80 percent in 20 years; that the cancer connection is still a matter of some debate; and that formaldehyde emissions from all products decrease over time, with the most emissions in the first months after manufacture.
The particleboard industry could bring its formaldehyde emissions down to Greenguard's standard if it used a different glue, phenol formaldehyde resin. Emissions from particleboard made with it are so low that some green rating systems give points to home builders who use it.
The industry has resisted this for cost reasons. It continues to use urea formaldehyde resins, even though these account for all the formaldehyde emissions problems associated with particleboard. These cost half as much as phenolic resins.
In dollar amounts, however, the difference between the two resins is negligible, and the cost of urea formaldehyde resin itself is low. Particleboard made with phenolic resin would cost slightly more because the curing time is longer, which reduces production rates.
After years of acrimony, the two sides of the emissions issue have converged, courtesy of the California Air Resources Board. After numerous hearings and testimony from all parties, CARB set an emissions standard for particleboard, effective Jan. 1, 2009. Particleboard and finished goods containing it that are sold or supplied to California must meet an emission standard of 0.18 parts per million. Because this is an upper limit, the average emission will be less; CARB estimates that it will be 0.15 parts per million.
On Jan. 1, 2011, the standard will be lowered to 0.09 parts per million. CARB estimates that the average emission will be close to 0.06 parts per million.
This is good news for all U.S. residents concerned about these emissions. The California market is so large that every manufacturer of finished goods containing particleboard and every particleboard manufacturer probably will aim to meet the CARB standards.
For more information on CARB and its formaldehyde rulings, see http:/
Katherine Salant can be contacted via her Web site, http:/
© 2008 Katherine Salant
