Air Emissions from Wood & Wood-Based Products

Conducting Research and Sharing Information

Introduction Control Technology Absorption, Desorption, and Fluidized Bed Biofiltration Carbon Adsorption Catalytic Oxidation Membrane Separation Regenerative Thermal Oxidation Scrubbers Thermal Oxidation Vapor Condensation Federal Agencies Research Projects Resources & Capabilities Possibilities for Cooperative Research Benefits of Cooperation Current Research Projects Safety & Health State Agencies General Links The following web sites have useful information generally relating to VOC pollutants. If you know of a web site that should be included please send us the web site address. Material Data Safety Sheets Compliance On-line (MSDS) At the following sites you can get MSDS's through keyword searching or in alphabetical indexes: MSDS's from Vermont SIRI MSDS's provided by the University of British Columbia MSDS's from Oxford University's Physical and Chemical Theoretical Laboratory MSDS's from the University of Utah National Council for Air and Stream Improvement (NCASI) NCASI is an environmental resource for the forest products industry to assist in meeting its environmental goals.

Introduction

This web site provides information for the forest products and related industries in the area of volatile organic compound (VOC) air emissions which includes issues related to: control technologies, federal agencies, literature review, research projects, safety and health, and state agencies.

Mission

To provide research data and current information regarding the identification, characterization, and mitigation of air emissions generated by wood and wood products during their manufacture and use.

The Challenge

VOCs are organic compounds that occur either naturally or synthetically and that vaporize during the manufacture or use of many different products. Some VOCs can sometimes cause health and environmental effects. Data gathered by the U.S. EPA show that the forest products industry, as a whole, is a major emitter of VOCs, though not the largest emitter.

Atmospheric emissions from composite wood products manufacturing facilities have been of concern since the 1970s. The concern has centered primarily around the opacity of emissions from wood dryers ("blue haze") caused by particulates and condensable organic materials. More recently, concern has also focused on the emissions of hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) and VOCs during the production of wood products. The 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments brought large sectors of the industry under new regulations with regard to criteria pollutants and VOC emissions, especially in ozone non-attainment areas. New permitting rules now require the inventory and reporting of emissions.

Concerns about indoor air emissions from wood products used in building materials and for the manufacture of furniture and fixtures first arose in the 1970s and centered around the release of a single VOC-formaldehyde, a suspected carcinogen. VOC emissions other than formaldehyde have been of increasing concern over the last two decades. In energy-efficient buildings, air exchange rates are low, permitting VOC concentrations to increase. Adverse health effects (referred to as "sick building syndrome") have been attributed to increased levels of VOCs from all sources of building materials and contents.

In general, the information regarding the identification, characterization, amounts, chemical transformation, and mitigation of VOCs is not well documented in the literature. This information is vague and fragmented, and regulations are changing, which makes the identification and control of VOC emissions difficult, particularly for small- to medium-sized companies. These are areas where the Forest Products Laboratory and Southern Research Station can make contributions.

A grant awarded by EPA Environmental Technology Initiative program has made possible the development of this user-friendly web page.

For more information on VOC Research contact:

USDA, Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory
One Gifford Pinchot Drive
Madison, WI 53705-2398
Phone: 608-231-9200
Fax: 608-231-9592

Melissa Baumann, Research Chemist
Phone: 608-231-9278
Fax: 608-231-9592
Email: mbaumann/fpl@fs.fed.us