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Formaldehyde Emissions - 5 Ways to Reduce Formaldehyde in Your Home
Sat 05 Jul 2008 - 13:37
Formaldehyde Emissions - 5 Ways to Reduce Formaldehyde in Your Home
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Debbie_Davis]Debbie Davis
Formaldehyde is a clear-colored, strong-smelling chemical that occurs in liquid or gaseous form. Most of us probably first experienced the smell as the liquid used as the preservative for the frog that we dissected in biology class. More and more formaldehyde is used in the manufacturing of building materials, and everyday household products. The United States Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) states that airborne concentrations of formaldehyde above 0.1 parts per million (ppm) can cause irritation of the respiratory tract, and that formaldehyde is a suspected human carcinogen linked to nasal and lung cancer. Here are 5 products which use formaldehyde and 5 ways to lessen your exposure to it.
Eliminate Second Hand Smoke
Formaldehyde is a by product of cigarette smoke. The best way to eliminate it is to stop smoking, or smoke outside. Opening a window or moving to another room does not reduce the risk to an acceptable level.
Vent Wood Burning and Kerosene Stoves and Space Heaters
Fuel-burning off-gasses formaldehyde and appliances such as space heaters, wood-burning, or kerosene stoves should be vented to the outside to avoid build-up of unsafe vapor levels.
Reduce Pressed Wood Products
This is most likely the greatest source of formaldehyde in homes. The adhesives used to formulate the pressed wood for shelves; sub flooring, drawer fronts, and tops of furniture often contain urea formaldehyde resins which give off the highest levels of vapors. To reduce emission, consider using exterior grade particle board which contains adhesives with a lower emission rate. Coating surfaces with polyurethane is also an option, but be careful to choose a product that does not contain other chemicals that will off gas. To be effective this coating would need to cover all of the pressed wood, and remain completely intact.
Store Chemicals Away from Living Area
Throw away chemicals that have been opened, and check to make seals on unopened chemicals are uncompromised. Store all chemicals away from the living area in an outdoor shed that can be secured, or a tool room or work room that is not vented back into the house. Storing chemicals such as paint, varnish, adhesives, solvents, and hobby products in an area well away from the living space will insure that even if they release vapors, they are not compromising your indoor air quality and putting you and your family at risk.
An excellent resource for a HEPA air purifier to remove formaldehyde from the air in your home is offered by PurerAir.com-- the <A target="_new" HREF="http://purerair.com/healthmate_plus.html">Austin HealthMate Plus
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Debbie_Davis http://EzineArticles.com/?Formaldehyde-Emissions---5-Ways-to-Reduce-Formaldehyde-in-Your-Home&id=1296782
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