Volatile organic compounds and formaldehyde in nature, wood and wood based panels

The emission of terpene compounds from vegetation is subject to seasonal and diurnal variations. Due to oxidation of terpene compounds simple aldehydes like formaldehyde can be formed. Insofar formaldehyde is an ubiquitous chemical. Due to its high reactivity it has a short half-life time. Wood and wood-based panels emit a low, but still detectable, amount of formaldehyde. The emission depends on exogenic (temperature, relative humidity, air exchange level) and endogenic (wood species, binder level, binder type, production conditions, etc.) factors. With the aging of boards formaldehyde release declines tremendously to reach very low level. Nevertheless, with low fuming binders wood-based panels with formaldehyde emission close to that of untreated wood can be prepared. Non-formaldehyde volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can be released from wood and wood-based panels. The emission rate depends on the wood species as well as on the boundary conditions (drying, storage, etc.). In the case of wood-based panels it depends also on the production factors as well as on the storage conditions. Methods to assess VOCs have been developed and regulations regarding the limits of emission values are under way.