Clearing the air on formaldehyde

Formaldehyde is usually associated with embalming but this carcinogenic is also present in many commonly used building materials.

In this morning’s New York Times, FEMA Faulted on Response to Risks in Trailers focuses on the the high level of formaldehyde in trailers that the agency provided to hurricane evacuees. I will spare you my long-winded personal opinion about FEMA and get to the point which is how to keep formaldehyde out of your home.

The EPA estimates that indoor air is 2-5 times more polluted than outdoor air and the cause of respiratory and other health problems. Formaldehyde is high on the list of contaminants.

Sources of formaldehyde:

• pressed wood products (plywood, particleboard, fiberboard)
• furniture
• cabinetry
• shelving
• subfloor underlayment
• Urea-formaldehyde foam insulation (UFFI)
• Textiles, such as drapes and clothing
• Glues & adhesives
• Paints & finishes

The first step to improving your home’s indoor air quality is eliminating chemicals from the building materials you choose whenever possible.

What to look for:

• low-VOC
• formaldehyde-free
• soy-based adhesives
• natural finishes

In addition to reducing the presence of pollutants, keeping your home properly ventilated and controlling humidity also helps improve indoor air quality. A green home is a healthy home and eliminating chemicals from the materials you choose keeps them out of the air you breathe, the wastestream and the natural environment.

Read more:

• EPA Introduction to Indoor Air Quality: Formaldehyde
• EPA Indoor Air Quality Topics
• How do you deal with existing, possibly toxic, wall and floor finishes?
• Green Seal Certified Products: Paints
• Formaldehyde-Free Coalition
• Formaldehyde-Free Kitchens

Resources:

Your Green Home by Alex Wilson: If you’re interested in creating a healthy, green home this new read is a great resource. Author Alex Wilson is president of BuildingGreen, Inc. and editor of Environmental Building News, the oldest and most respected publication serving North America’s green building industry. He’s also a great teacher which I know first-hand from my courses with him at Boston Architectural College. Your Green Home is geared towards homeowners with answers about everything from the big picture to the details. Covers: home location, site design, construction systems, design for optimum energy performance, renewable energy systems, material selection, indoor environmental quality, water efficiency and material selection.