Carpets formaldehyde

That doctor told me that all the carpeting in our house, all the fabrics, all our clothes, and all the furniture would have to be cleaned to get rid of the hydrocarbons left behind by the smoke. He also told me that ozone changes the environment and can cause formaldehyde levels to be higher. 

Fragrances don t seem to bother me as much as other chemicals. Formaldehyde is the worst for me. I have to stay away from new carpeting and new or remodeled buildings. Car exhaust is another one. And chlorine. Once when I went to the doctor they put me in a robe that had been washed with bleach, and I got sick right there in the doctor s office from wearing it. 

Formaldehyde Germicide, pressed-wood products, urea-foimaldehyde foam insulation (UFFI), adhesives, paints, plastics, carpeting, gypsum board, ceiling tiles and panels, wood paneling. 083 2A... 

Formaldehyde from particle board, pressed wood, urea-formaldehyde foam insulation, plywood resins, hardwood paneling, carpeting, upholstery ... 

Black, Pearson and Work (1991) found no detectable formaldehyde emissions from nineteen SBR-bonded carpet products. In general, the emission of formaldehyde from carpets appears to be a rare occurrence in published literature. 

New carpets, laminate, parquet, vinyl, and so on are not suitable for MCS patients, because the varnishes, glues, synthetic substances, formaldehyde and other chemical substances can cause severe problems. Gassing out these chemicals can take months if not years. It s therefore best to play it safe and go with materials that are less harmful, such as organically produced cotton. An untreated hardwood floor or other hard floor coverings, like stone, ceramic or porcelain tile, are also good options. Make sure you do not react to the specific wood by first testing a sample thoroughly ... 

Some VOCs can be malodorous pollutants, sensory irritants, or hazardous air pollutants. Hazardous VOC air pollutants include acetaldehyde, benzene, carbon tetrachloride, chloroform, ethylbenzene, formaldehyde, hexane, methylene chloride, naphthalene, paradichlorobenzene, pesticides (biocides), styrene, tetrachloroethylene, toluene, trichloroethylene, and xylenes. They are found in essentially all indoor locations, released by off gassing from numerous sources, such as construction and decorating materials, consumer products, paints, paint removers, furnishings, carpets, and from combustion of wood, kerosene, and tobacco. While more than 500 VOCs have... 

A new office building has synthetic carpet laid in all its offices. Formaldehyde (HCHO) is released from the carpet at a rate of approximately 10 /xg/hr in an office, and one worker in this 72 ft2 office with an 8-ft ceiling complains of feeling nauseous from the chemical. Ambient air concentration of formaldehyde is 5 ppb. What ventilation rate is needed in this office to decrease the formaldehyde concentration to 0.1 ppb, assuming a density of air at room temperature of approximately 1.2 kg/m3 ... 

New carpeting is installed in a home. The carpet outgasses formaldehyde at a total rate of 2.3 g/hr and the house has a ventilation rate of 0.3 ACH. If the house has a volume of 750 m3, what is the expected formaldehyde concentration If the carpet were taken outdoors, how long would it take for the formaldehyde concentration in the home to decrease to 0.1 ppm ... 

Carpets emit a variety of VOCs depending upon their chemical compositions. SBR-backed carpets primarily emit 4-phenylcyclohexene (4-PCH), the chemical identified with new carpet odor, and styrene. PVC-backed carpets primarily emit formaldehyde, vinyl acetate, 1,2-propanediol, and 2-ethyl-l-hexanol. Carpets with a PU backing primarily emit butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT). Carpet emissions of VOCs are most pronounced immediately after a new carpet is laid, with emission rates falling off rapidly as a function of time, as depicted in Fig. 12.1. Even though emission rates fall off rapidly, sensitized individuals often continue to exhibit symptoms for long periods of time. 

The rules address homeowners mounting complaints about pollution by explicitly limiting the content and intensity of harmful chemicals used in home improvement. They include formaldehyde, VOCs, and ammonia contained in interior architectural coatings, wood furniture, adhesives, and carpets. 

Many other home products contain and give off formaldehyde although the amount has not been carefully measured. These products include household cleaners, carpet cleaners, disinfectants, cosmetics, medicines, fabric softeners, glues, lacquers, and antiseptics. You may also breath formaldehyde if you use unvented gas or kerosene heaters indoors or if you or someone else smokes a cigar, cigarette, or pipe indoors. The amormt of formaldehyde in mobile homes is usually higher than it is in conventional homes because of their lower air turnover. 

Formaldehyde is found in small amounts in many consumer products including antiseptics, medicines, dish-washing liquids, fabric softeners, shoe-care agents, carpet cleaners, glues, adhesives, and lacquers. If you or a member of your family uses these products, providing fresh outdoor air when you use them, this will reduce your exposure to formaldehyde. Some cosmetics, such as nail hardeners, have very high levels of formaldehyde. If you do not use these products in a small room, or if you have plenty of ventilation when you use them, you will reduce your exposure to formaldehyde. If your children are not in the room when you use these products, you will also reduce their exposure to formaldehyde. 

In another study on indoor formaldehyde emissions, quasi steady-state emission rates of formaldehyde from new carpets were measured in a large-scale environmental chamber (Hodgson et al. 1993). The emission rates were 57.2 and 18.2 g/nr/liour at 24 and 168 hours, respectively, after the start of each experiment. Similar results were observed in a Swedish study where indoor formaldehyde levels were found to be higher in homes having wall to wall carpeting (Norback et al. 1995). Another recent... 

In the home, fonnaldehyde sources include household chemicals, pressed wood products (especially when new) (EPA 1996), combustion sources (NRC 1986), and some new fabrics (Schorr et al. 1974) and garments. A number of common household products may release formaldehyde to indoor air, including antiseptics, medicines, dish-washing liquids, fabric softeners, shoe-care agents, carpet cleaners, glues, adhesives, and lacquers (Kelly et al. 1996). If children use or play with some of these products, or are present when they are used, additional exposure to formaldehyde may occur. Many cosmetic products contain formaldehyde and some, such as nail polish and nail hardeners, contain high levels (Kelly et al. 1996). If children place these products in their mouth or on their skin, or sniff them, they will be exposed to elevated levels of formaldehyde. 

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