This page last
revised February 4, 2009
Formaldehyde
is produced on a large scale worldwide. One major use
includes the
production of wood binding adhesives and resins. The Air Resources Board (ARB)
evaluated
formaldehyde exposure in California
and found that one of the major sources of exposure is from inhalation
of
formaldehyde emitted from composite wood products containing
urea-formaldehyde
resins. The International Agency for Research on Cancer
(IARC)
reclassified formaldehyde from “probably carcinogenic to humans” to
“carcinogenic
to humans” in 2004, based on the increased risk of nasopharyngeal
cancer.
Formaldehyde was also designated as a toxic air contaminant (TAC) in California
in 1992 with
no safe level of exposure. State law requires ARB to take
action to reduce
human exposure to all TACs.
Staff of the ARB conducted a formal
rulemaking process
to address formaldehyde exposure from composite wood products.
On April 26, 2007, ARB approved an airborne
toxic
control measure (ATCM) to reduce formaldehyde emissions from composite
wood
products including hardwood plywood, particleboard, medium density
fiberboard,
thin medium density fiberboard (thickness ≤ 8mm), and also furniture
and other
finished products made with composite wood products. The ARB's April 26, 2007 Board Presentation is available. The
ATCM
to control formaldehyde emissions from composite wood
products was approved
on April 18, 2008 by the Office of Administrative Law.
The regulation has been filed with the
Secretary of State to be codified into Title 17 of the California Code
of
Regulations, and is immediately effective.
The first emission standards were implemented on
January 1, 2009. The
final
regulation text is now available.
UPDATES
Recent
Activity
|
Description
|
Date Posted
|
NAF/ULEF Webpage Now Available NAF/ULEF application is available on NAF/ULEF webpage. |
December
10, 2008 |
Announcement
Regarding the Recently Published Article in the Western Reporter
September 2008, Issue |
December 8, 2008 |
New
Advisory-Labeling Requirements |
December 5, 2008 |
New
Advisory-Non Complying Lots |
December 5, 2008 |
New
Alternative Test Method (EN 120) Approved |
November 15, 2008 |
FACTSHEET - Requirements
for Fabricators Available in English, Vietnamese and
Chinese
|
November
12, 2008 |
New
Approved Alternate Small
Scale Quality Control Method for Use by Manufacturers |
June 30, 2008 |
(中
文
) Chinese Version of the ATCM |
June 11, 2008 |
For more
information, please contact
Mr. Lynn Baker
at (916) 324-6997, or Jeffery
Williams, Ph.D.
at (916) 327-0647.
|