Predicting indoor-air formaldehyde concentrations from emissions of urea-formaldehyde-bonded wood products using the Versar model

The Versar mathematical model, an outgrowth of research by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), is a tool for making home projections of formaldehyde concentrations. The model, based on mass balance principles, can accommodate input information from up to six formaldehyde sources. Laboratory data were available characterizing emission characteristics of four primary wood product formaldehyde sources used in an EPA and Composite Panel Association (CPA) home study project. Using product source inputs, Versar initial home concentration outputs were reasonably consistent with measured formaldehyde in the test home, particularly when the gypsum wallboard sink/re-emitter was considered a fifth formaldehyde source in the model.