- Author
- Grot, R. A. | Silberstein, S. | Ishiguro, K.
- Title
- Validation of Models for Predicting Formaldehyde Concentrations in Residences Due to Pressed Wood Products. Phase 1.
- Coporate
- National Bureau of Standards, Gaithersburg, MD
- Sponsor
- Consumer Product Safety Commission, Washington, DC
- Report
- NBSIR 85-3255, September 1985,
- Distribution
- Available from National Technical Information Service
- Keywords
- formaldehyde; mathematical models; residential buildings; wood products; safety; houses; air pollution; temperature; humidity; assessments; concentration (composition)
- Identifiers
- indoor air pollution; air quality; consumer products
- Abstract
- The interim report describes procedures and presents results of the first phase of a laboratory project undertaken at the National Bureau of Standards for the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). The purpose of the ongoing project is to assess the accuracy of emission and indoor air quality models to be used by CPSC in predicting formaldehyde (HCHO) concentrations in residences due to pressed-wood products made with urea-formaldehyde bonding resins, namely particleboard underlayment, hardwood-plywood paneling and medium-density fiberboard (MDF). In phase I, these products were characterized in 'medium-size' dynamic measuring chambers by measuring their HCHO surface emission rates over a range of HCHO concentrations, at 23C and 50% RH. They were then installed in a two-room prototype house and the equilibrium HCHO concentrations were monitored as a function of air exchange rate. Excellent agreement was obtained between measured HCHO concentrations and those predicted by a mass-balance indoor air quality model. In the next phase, the study will be repeated at various different temperatures and relative humidities so that models predicting HCHO surface emission rate as a function of temperature and humidity can be tested.