Formaldehyde testing of building products....

 

Formaldehyde is a colorless, flammable gas with a pungent, suffocating odor. It is released into the atmosphere from forest fires, automobile exhaust, and tobacco smoke; it is a significant component of smog. Very small amounts of formaldehyde are naturally produced in humans and other organisms and can naturally occur in some building materials (e.g. wood). Formaldehyde is produced industrially for use as a preservative, disinfectant, and for the manufacturing of a number of glues, resins, and other materials for building products. ( http://healthybuilding.net/uploads/files/formaldehyde-found-in-building-materials.pdf )

 

Formaldehyde is targeted for elimination because it has been classified as a known carcinogen by the State of California (Proposition 65) and the World Health Organization (International Agency for Research on Cancer)

The National Institute of Health’s National Toxicology Program (NTP) states that formaldehyde is reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen.

 

Formaldehyde can cause contact dermatitis, associated with an allergic reaction to the chemical.  In addition to its own toxic properties, formaldehyde can react with other chemicals in the atmosphere to create carbon monoxide. It is designated a Hazardous Air Pollutant by the US EPA as one of the major toxic constituents of smog.( http://healthybuilding.net/uploads/files/formaldehyde-found-in-building-materials.pdf )

 

Lumber Liquidators is a U.S. company, but much of its laminate flooring is made in China. It is legal for flooring to contain formaldehyde. The chemical is present in some of the cheap glues used in factories like this one in China. Formaldehyde is in the glues used to bind wood particles together to make the core boards in laminate flooring. The laminated top, which covers the core board, keeps most of the formaldehyde emissions trapped inside. But formaldehyde does leak into the air. Because formaldehyde can cause myeloid leukemia and nasopharyngeal cancer at high levels and respiratory issues as well as eye, nose and throat irritation at even low levels, California has strict standards for how much of the chemical the core boards in laminate flooring can emit. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/lumber-liquidators-linked-to-health-and-safety-violations/

 

Lovell Indoor Environmental can test your building products for formaldehyde levels. All samples are sent to State  Certified Laboratories for analysis . 

Please call for more information. 

239-220-7226