Volatile organic compounds emissions from North American engineered wood products

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are a wide–ranging group of chemicals that contain carbon plus other atoms, such as oxygen and hydrogen, and exist in the gaseous phase at ambient indoor temperature due to their vapor pressures. Most VOCs around the world are from natural sources such as plants and animals, but some VOCs are also emitted from manufactured products, including wood products.1 At high enough indoor concentrations, some VOCs may lead to human discomfort or health issues, especially for high–risk groups such as infants or elderly individuals with compromised respiratory systems.2 Most of the research has been focused on formaldehyde emissions from urea–formaldehyde adhesives used in interior wood products, although the VOCs from particleboard have been studied.3 Thus, this study was to developed background VOC emission data on commercially available engineered wood products manufactured in North America.4 Data collected from this research are strictly emission data from these products and do not indicate the quantity of VOCs that end up in the indoor environment.