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Some kitchen cabinets emit substantial amounts of formaldehyde. The formaldehyde we measured inside some custom cabinets and vanities was considerably above the occupational exposure limit of 300 ppb.
Custom cabinets in two homes had more than 1,000 ppb formaldehyde inside the drawers, off the scale of our meter. We could not get accurate readings on those cabinets. Note the red alarm light on the meter in the photo. Some other custom cabinets had 500 – 600 ppb formaldehyde inside the drawers.
We also tested pre-fab cabinets at Lowes, expecting inexpensive particleboard units to have more formaldehyde. We were surprised to find that most of the cabinets at Lowes had less than 100 ppb formaldehyde. At this point, we do not have enough data to speculate as to why pre-fab cabinets had less formaldehyde.
Homes with high-formaldehyde cabinets also had over 100 ppb formaldehyde in room air. These homes contained more formaldehyde than the 77 ppb average in the Katrina FEMA trailers.
EPA indicates that 100 ppb formaldehyde will cause respiratory irritation or asthma in most adults. Children are more sensitive. We would be concerned about linens, pillows, or clothing that might be stored in high-formaldehyde cabinets. Formaldehyde will cling to fabrics, and then it will be released near a person using the item. A cabinetmaker friend tells me that low-formaldehyde plywood is available for a minimal additional cost. It is possible for a homeowner to specify materials that will not emit substantial formaldehyde. A cautious homeowner will test new cabinets prior to accepting delivery, to be certain the completed units meet specifications.
Formaldehyde test kits are available from SKC for homeowners to test their homes. Place testers inside the cabinets of concern and other testers in room air. Mail the testers to the lab at the end of the test period, and the lab will send a written report.
An industrial hygienist can do a more precise characterization. Formaldehyde meters provide information on concentrations throughout a home in an hour or two.
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Comments
You can ask for cabinetry made with PureBond plywood by Columbia Forest Products. It has no added formaldehyde in the wood and is made with a soy based adhesive. There are many fine custom cabinet shops that use the PureBond today. It's not hard to find and makes formaldehyde in your cabinets one thing you won't have to worry about!
Still test. A Plywood product claims both 'no added urea formaldehyde' and 'zero ppb of formaldehyde off gassed.' Because prue wood off gasses some formaldehyde, I tested the product. My test measured over 600 ppb from this product.
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