European Formaldehyde Regulations: A French View - ACS

17 European Formaldehyde Regulations: A French View

Downloaded by NATL UNIV OF SINGAPORE on May 6, 2018 | https://pubs.acs.org Publication Date: August 8, 1986 | doi: 10.1021/bk-1986-0316.ch017

D. Coutrot Centre Technique du Bois et de l'Ameublement, 10 avenue de Saint-Mande, 75012 Paris, France Limiting formaldehyde levels should not be set by regulation unless adequate measurement methods are available, except in case of acute health risk. However, it appears that limiting values are being proposed in several European countries, even though we know that it is still difficult to measure and enforce the proposed standard levels and even though the proposed measurement methods have been challenged. In France we want to be certain that we can enforce a standard before we finalize methods and set specific values. Therefore, we still continue to work towards a better understanding and definition of the formaldehyde emission process. In the present world, one of the key notions of our century is the environment. The environment has become a subject of constant attention for modern man, and it has become a focus of our life and welfare. After having ignored - and even rejected - the environment during the industrial and economic development of the last centuries, we presently incline towards increased respect of nature. However, it appears that we are changing from one extreme to the other and, instead of striving for harmony between the environment and human welfare, some people reject all that is industrial and demand legislation that is increasingly rigid and prohibitive. The apparent goal is to eradicate any potential aggressor against the environment by legislative means. Formaldehyde, a strong irritant, is considered one of these aggressors. Since it is a well defined chemical, it has become an easy target for elimination. However, we should remember that formaldehyde is not only an industrial chemical, but is omnipresent in nature: Formaldehyde is present in traces in the living organism where it plays an important part in the metabolic cycles (biosynthesis of the puric nucleus). We can find it in apples, onions, etc. It was also one of the first organic compounds discovered in interstellar space. In fact, in the direction of 0097-6156/ 86/ 0316-0209$06.00/ 0 © 1986 A m e r i c a n C h e m i c a l Society

Meyer et al.; Formaldehyde Release from Wood Products ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 1986.

210

FORMALDEHYDE RELEASE FROM WOOD PRODUCTS

S a g i t t a r i u s , t h e r e a r e two formaldehyde c l o u d s w i t h a mass e q u i v a l e n t t o about one m i l l i o n t i m e s t h e mass o f t h e sun. On t h e o t h e r hand, formaldehyde i s a b y p r o d u c t o f human activities. I t i s a combustion p r o d u c t ; i t i s i n c i g a r e t t e smoke, i n wood c o m b u s t i o n , and i n n a t u r a l gas f l a m e s . Urban a i r c o n t a i n s between 10 and 1,000 mg/m o f a l d e h y d e s , depending on l o c a t i o n . T y p i c a l c o n c e n t r a t i o n s a r e shown i n T a b l e I :

Table I.

Formaldehyde C o n c e n t r a t i o n s i n Urban A i r


City

Los A n g e l e s

New J e r s e y Switzerland Federa1 R e p u b l i e o f Germany Tokyo

Ave. (ppm)

Date

Daily

1961 1966 1969 1979 1977 1977

.005 .050 .002 .002 .0038 .0093

-

.16 .12 .136 .015 .0066 .01

1979 1979

.0001 .006

-

.0065 .17

Formaldehyde i s a l s o r e l e a s e d from ami nop l a s t s and t h e i r d e r i v a t i v e s , such a s u r e a - f o r m a l d e h y d e foam i n s u l a t i o n ( U F F I ) , wood a d h e s i v e s , and t e x t i I e f i n i sh i ng a g e n t s . I t i s t h i s suppIementaI, i n d u s t r i a I s o u r c e of f o r m a l d e h y d e t h a t has become t h e s u b j e c t o f r i s k a n a l y s i s . S h o u l d we a l l o w p r o d u c t s t h a t s e r v e our d a i l y c o m f o r t t o a l t e r our e n v i r o n m e n t by r e l e a s i n g an i r r i t a t i n g vapor w i t h a pungent odor? I , f o r one, b e l i e v e t h a t c o m f o r t a l o n e does not j u s t i f y such a situation. A n o t h e r problem w i t h formaldehyde i s t h a t we a r e not y e t c e r t a i n a t which a i r l e v e l s formaldehyde i s t o x i c and dangerous, and a t which l e v e l s i t c a u s e s a l l e r g i e s o r o t h e r i l l n e s s e s . The French Formaldehyde I n s t i t u t e b r o u g h t a b e g i n n i n g o f an answer by making an e v a l u a t i o n o f t h e t o x i c i t y o f t h i s p r o d u c t from e x p e r i m e n t s c a r r i e d o u t i n s e v e r a l c o u n t r i e s such a s t h e U.S., Sweden, and t h e F e d e r a l R e p u b l i c o f Germany ( 1 ) . I n F r a n c e , formaldehyde i s c l a s s i f i e d i n T a b l e C o f t h e H e a l t h Code (2) as a dangerous p r o d u c t , e x c e p t f o r p r e p a r a t i o n s c o n t a i n i n g a maximum o f 5 wt%. Moreover, i n t h e d e p a r t m e n t a l o r d e r d a t e d A p r i l 25, 1979, t h e Labour Department c o n s i d e r e d formaldehyde an i r r i t a n t f o r c o n c e n t r a t i o n s i n c l u d e d between 5 and 30 wt% and t o x i c f o r c o n c e n t r a t i o n s h i g h e r than 30 wt%. T h i s r e g u l a t i o n i s v a l i d f o r formol s o l u t i o n . Thus, formaldehyde i s t o be c o n s i d e r e d an a g g r e s s o r , and we must: 1. Reduce t h e r i s k o f e m i s s i o n t h a t reaches t h e consumer, and 2. E v a l u a t e t h e r i s k i t p r e s e n t s by measuring i t s c o n c e n t r a t i o n w i t h methods t h a t y i e l d r e s u l t s as c l o s e p o s s i b l e t o r e a l i t y .



17.

COUTROT

European

Formaldehyde

211

Regulations

I n an e a r l i e r c h a p t e r , Romeis has shown t h a t t h e r e i s p r e s e n t l y no l a b o r a t o r y method t h a t a l l o w s meaningful p r e d i c t i o n o f f o r m a l d e h y d e e m i s s i o n from p a r t i c l e b o a r d s . Why i s p a r t i c l e b o a r d so i m p o r t a n t ? I n Europe, t h i s panel r e p r e s e n t s t h e b i g g e s t use o f ami nop l a s t r e s i n s . The problem w i t h c u r r e n t l a b o r a t o r y methods i s t h a t they o n l y measure formaldehyde a t a s i n g l e t i m e p o i n t under e q u i l i b r i u m c o n d i t i o n s . I n c o n t r a s t , r e a l - l i f e use o f p a r t i c l e b o a r d i n v o l v e s c l i m a t i c s h o c k s . T h i s was w e l l i l l u s t r a t e d by a s t u d y a t t h e c e n t e r f o r s u r f a c e t e c h n o l o g y i n Haarlem ( 3 ) . F i g u r e 1 shows t h a t changes i n a i r h u m i d i t y and temperature g r e a t l y and p r o m p t l y i n f l u e n c e f o r m a l d e h y d e e m i s s i o n . Thus, w h i l e l a b o r a t o r y t e s t s a l l o w a q u a l i t a t i v e e v a l u a t i o n of t h e e m i s s i o n r i s k , they do not p e r m i t quantitative extrapolation to r e a l - l i f e conditions. D e s p i t e t h i s f a c t , some governments a r e now e n f o r c i n g r e g u l a t i o n s t h a t a r e based on t e s t methods t h a t a r e not s u i t a b l e f o r d e t e r m i n i n g f o r m a l d e h y d e exposure l e v e l s and r i s k s . Thus, some c o u n t r i e s have r e g u l a t e d t h e formaldehyde c o n t e n t o f p a r t i c l e b o a r d , r e l y i n g on t h e p e r f o r a t o r method, European S t a n d a r d Method EN 120) (4) which t h e o r e t i c a l l y measures t h e t o t a l q u a n t i t y of f r e e formaldehyde i n p a r t i c l e b o a r d . The c u r r e n t r e g u l a t o r y s i t u a t i o n f o r some c o u n t r i e s i s shown i n T a b l e I I .

Table I I .

V a l u e s o f Maximum E m i s s i o n f o r 100 g o f Board (mg) S t a t u t o r y o r Recommended v a l u e s (5)

Country

France Federa1 Repub1i c o f Germany Netherlands Denmark F i n1 and Sweden

Actua1

50 CTB-S 70 CTB-H C l a s s E l 0-10 C l a s s E2 10-30 C l a s s E3 30-60 20-25 25 30 40

Target Values

30 50 E l 0-5

I n F r a n c e , one p r o p o s a l has been t o keep t h e 50 g v a l u e of t h e C e n t r e T e c h n i q u e du Bo i s , CTB-S f o r c e r t i f y i n g p r o d u c t s and t o i n t r o d u c e new c l a s s e s o f formaldehyde c o n t e n t w i t h v a l u e s o f 10 mg/100 g, 25 mg/100 g, e t c . A n o t h e r proposed r e g u l a t o r y approach t a k e s i n t o account t h e formaldehyde c o n c e n t r a t i o n i n ambient a i r . T h e r e , two c a s e s e x i s t : The e x p o s u r e l i m i t v a l u e s on w o r k p l a c e s , and t h e exposure l i m i t v a l u e s i n h o u s i n g , which a r e g e n e r a l l y one t e n t h o f t h e w o r k p l a c e value, see Table I I I :




2 1 2


17.

COUTROT

European

Table I I I .

Formaldehyde

213

Regulations

R e g u l a t i o n of Formaldehyde E m i s s i o n i n V a r i o u s European C o u n t r i e s ( V a l u e s i n ppm)

Workplaces


Country

1978

1980

1983

France

-

-

2

Be 1g i urn Fi nland

2 2

2 2

2 1

Denmark Old New Fed. Repub1i c of Germany Sweden Italy Nether l a n d s

1.2

1.2

1 0.3 1.2

3

1

1

2

2

2 2

Housing

Target

Ta r g e t

1983

0.3-0.2 (0.2-0.1) Proposa1 0.25 to put i n 0.12 class 3 (carcinogen)

0.1 3

0.12 0.1 0.7 o l d 1ine 0.5 new 1i ne

0.4

0.5

0.1

0.1 0.2 ( e a r l y 1985)

a Houses b u i l t a f t e r t h e 1 s t of January 1983. The r e g u l a t i o n o f a i r c o n c e n t r a t i o n s aims a t e x p r e s s i n g t h e maximum l i m i t t h a t i s a d m i s s i b l e . T h i s approach i s t h e most r e a l i s t i c one, because i t answers t h e consumer's l e g i t i m a t e r e q u i r e m e n t s i n r e g a r d t o c o m f o r t and h e a l t h . The gas f l o w method would p e r m i t t h e e v a l u a t i o n (under c e r t a i n c o n d i t i o n s ) of t h e r i s k t h a t we may e x p e c t from a board. Any reguI a t i on d e a I i ng w i t h t h e forma Idehyde c o n t a ined i n wood p r o d u c t s i s r e a l i s t i c o n l y i f i t can be r e l i a b l y connected t o board e m i s s i o n . I t seems from our s t u d i e s (3) t h a t a c e r t a i n r e l a t i o n s h i p does e x i s t , but t h i s r e l a t i o n s h i p i s o n l y v a l i d f o r boards manufactured on a g i v e n f a c t o r y l i n e . Thus, t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p between p e r f o r a t o r c o n t e n t and gas f l o w c o n t e n t needs t o be more t h o r o u g h l y s t u d i ed. Thus, as we c u r r e n t l y t r y t o reduce formaldehyde r e l e a s e i n t o a i r t h r o u g h r e g u l a t i o n s , i t would seem t h a t a c t i o n s t a k e n f o r t h e s a k e o f " h e a l t h " a r e c u r r e n t l y g o i n g beyond s c i e n t i f i c a l l y established facts. Thus, by way of example, i n t h e F e d e r a l R e p u b l i c of Germany t h e f o l l o w i n g approach was proposed some t i m e ago: The t o t a l f o r m a l d e h y d e a i r c o n c e n t r a t i o n from a l l s o u r c e s s h o u l d not reach a i r c o n c e n t r a t i o n s h i g h e r than 0.1 ppm, on and a f t e r t h e 1 s t of J u l y 1985, and, from t h e 1 s t of J u l y 1990, t h e t o t a l c o n c e n t r a t i o n i n t h e a i r s h o u l d n o t exceed 0.05 ppm. Fortunately, the l a t e s t o f f i c i a l


214



government p o s i t i o n does not seem t o go towards such an extreme p o s i t i o n . A l e v e l o f 0.05 ppm i s s i m p l y not r e a l i s t i c . F u r t h e r m o r e , r e a l i s t i c r e g u l a t i o n s s h o u l d make p o s s i b l e p r o d u c t improvement and proper p r o d u c t u t i l i z a t i o n . I n t h e e a r l y 1970s i t was u n t h i n k a b l e t o manufacture board w i t h urea-formaldehyde a d h e s i v e s h a v i n g a F/U r a t i o o f 1.5-1.6. Nowadays, i t i s p o s s i b l e t o m a n u f a c t u r e boards o f t h e same q u a l i t y w i t h g l u e s having a F/U o f 1.25-1.2, o r even lower. F i g u r e 2 shows t h e e v o l u t i o n o f formaldehyde c o n t e n t o f p a r t i c l e b o a r d s i n Sweden (5,10). T a b l e I V shows r e l a t i v e p r o d u c t i o n r a t e s o f p a r t i c l e b o a r d a s a f u n c t i o n o f formaldehyde e m i s s i o n , u s i n g t h e s a l e s d a t a f o r France from CDF-Chimie.

T a b l e IV. French P a r t i c l e b o a r d P r o d u c t i o n a s a F u n c t i o n o f Formaldehyde E m i s s i o n (% o f t o t a l S a l e s by CDF-Chemie).

Perforator

Value

About 10 mg/100 g About 30 mg/100 g About 40 mg/100 g H i g h e r than 50 mg/IOOg

1982

_

13 8 79 100

January 1985

12 75 13

100

However, we b e l i e v e t h a t i t i s o f q u e s t i o n a b l e v a l u e t o demand t h a t a l l p a r t i c l e b o a r d s o l d s h o u l d be low e m i t t i n g , because a l a r g e p a r t of t h e p r o d u c t i o n i s s e a l e d and covered b e f o r e i t reaches t h e consumer. Thus, French f u r n i t u r e very r a r e l y c o n t a i n s u n t r e a t e d b o a r d , and e m i s s i o n requirements o f u n t r e a t e d boards a r e not a r e a l i s t i c r e f l e c t i o n o f e m i s s i o n from t h e f i n i s h e d p r o d u c t . Summary From t h i s s h o r t a n a l y s i s , i t emerges t h a t i n France we b e l i e v e i n r e a s o n a b l e r e d u c t i o n o f formaldehyde l e v e l s , but we do not i n t e n d t o engage i n r i g i d formaldehyde r e g u l a t i o n , because we b e l i e v e t h a t : 1) C u r r e n t formaldehyde l e v e l s a r e a l r e a d y very much reduced and do not p r e s e n t a r i s k a t usual c u r r e n t c o n c e n t r a t i o n s . 2) R e d u c i n g formaldehyde e m i s s i o n below 0.1-0.2 ppm i s c u r r e n t l y u n r e a l i s t i c , because ambient a i r l e v e l s may be h i g h e r due t o o t h e r formaldehyde sources. 3) The c u r r e n t methods f o r measuring formaldehyde e m i s s i o n from board a r e e x p e n s i v e , o f t e n undependable, and they do not p e r m i t a r e l i a b l e q u a n t i t a t i v e e x t r a p o l a t i o n t o r e a l - l i f e c o n d i t i o n s a t the present s t a t e of research. Our view i s t h a t one s h o u l d f i r s t e s t a b l i s h whether lower board e m i s s i o n i s u s e f u l and r e a l l y necessary under t h e a n t i c i p a t e d board


17.

COUTROT

European

Formaldehyde

215

Regulations

Value perforator-formaldehyde mg/100 g

1970


100

1970-1973

1974-75 Swedish standard i n force in 1983 1976-77 Danish standard P2U5 in force T?7*F79 ,

German

tandard E l

in

1983

1980-1983

i n fore 3 i n 1983

F i g u r e 2. V a r i a t i o n o f formaldehyde c o n t e n t o f p a r t i c l e b o a r d i n Sweden ( 5 ) .


216


use conditions before regulations for low emissions are set for all commercial types of boards. Acknowledgment This paper was edited for the ACS Proceedings format by M. M. Kapsa. Literature Cited 1.


2.

3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11.

"Une Evaluation de la Toxicite du Formaldehyde," Institut Francais du Formaldehyd, Paris, 1984. "Valeur Limites d'Exposition aux Substances Toxicque dans les Locaux de Travail," Cahier de notes documentaires #106, Institut National pour la Recherche et Securite, INRS-ND-1368-106-82, Paris, 1982 Korf, C. "Etude de quarte types de panneaux de particules d'origine francaise," Center for Surface Technology, Haarlem, Holland, October 1984. Sundin, B. "Bonded wood panels; Adhesive Systems for the Eighties," The World Pulp and Paper Week, Stockholm, April 1013, 1984. "Particleboard-Determination of Formaldehyde Content-Extraction Method Called Perforator Method," European Standard EN-120-1982, European Committee for Standardization, Brussels, 1982. "Formaldehyde," International Agency for Cancer Research, Monograph 29, Geneva, 1984, pp. 347-389 Le Botlan, D. "Le Formaldehyde," Laboratoire de Chimie Organique Physique, ERA, 315 Centre National pour la Recherche Scientifique, 1983 Roffael, E. "Formaldehydabgabe von Spanplatten und anderen Werkstoffen"; DRW Publishers: Stuttgart, 1982. Johansson, C.E. "Methods for Determining Formaldehyde in Ambient Air," FESYP Technical Workshop, Wiesbaden, 1981. Sundin, B. Proc. Int. Particelboard Symposium, 1985, 19, 200. Anonymous; Holz Zentralblatt, February 1, 1985, "Formaldehyde; keine Festlegung auf 0.05 ppm."

RECEIVED January 14, 1986


European Formaldehyde Regulations: A French View - ACS

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