Evaluation of formaldehyde emission from different types of wood-based panels and flooring materials using different standard test methods

In this study, formaldehyde emission (FE) and content (FC) from different types of wood-based panels mainly: particleboard (PB), medium and high density fiberboard (MDF and HDF) and plywood (PLW) and flooring materials [HDF laminate, solid wood, solid bamboo and polyvinyl chloride (PVC)] were measured using different test methods namely; European small-scale chamber (EN 717-1), gas analysis (EN 717-2), the American small-scale chamber (ASTM D 6007-02), and the perforator (EN 120) methods. FE was affected with high significance by board type and thickness of PB (P < 0.0001), but there was no significant effect from the moisture content (MC %) of PB (P = 0.94) and PLW (P = 0.195). The corrected FC values measured EN 120 were declined when the MC % decreased. Furthermore, the liberation of formaldehyde was enhanced by the process of painting when 200 g/m(2) oil-based paint was applied for MDF and HDF. There was a strong positive correlation among the four test methods (R-2 values ranged between 0.88 and 0.94) concerning the formaldehyde values from PB-16 mm, and approximately the same indication of formaldehyde values, as well as similar behavior, were seen for each method. Moreover, the results indicate surprisingly that there was a good correlation between EN 120 and ASTM D 6007-02, with R-2 values of 0.93. The measurements of FE from flooring panels were ranged between 0.003 and 0.125 mg/m(3) and the PVC flooring with UV-curable layer only had emissions ranged between 0.003 and 0.008 mg/m(3) as measured by EN 717-1. Values of the emittable formaldehyde concentrations from most of the products investigated in the present study were below the limits that are mandatory in the Czech Republic. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.