Furniture harmful factors. Is chipboard furniture harmful? Sources of formaldehyde emission in everyday life

Frequent headaches, throat irritation, cough and runny nose that appear after a long stay in the room - the cause of this may not be an acute respiratory disease at all, but formaldehyde, which is released from the furniture. What are the symptoms of poisoning by toxic substances that furniture emits, and how to protect your health?

As we said earlier, in the production of chipboard and MDF materials for furniture, resins that contain formaldehyde are added to their composition. Standing out, this substance gradually poisons health and can lead to a number of serious diseases.

It is believed that most formaldehyde emissions occur within 6 months of buying new furniture. But even after that, hazardous substances from furniture continue to be released, and their evaporation increases significantly during the heating season in winter: under heating from batteries, formaldehyde evaporates even faster, and dry indoor air leads to an increase in its concentration in the air.

The main symptoms of formaldehyde poisoning are:

1. Irritation of the mucous membranes of the eyes and upper respiratory tract, skin.

2. Frequent headache, cough, runny nose, nasal congestion.

3. Unmotivated depression of mood.

How to recognize formaldehyde poisoning from furniture?

1. The symptoms listed above are manifested in several people who have been in this room for a sufficient time. When the environment changes, the ailments disappear.

2. With the onset of the heating season, the symptoms of poisoning intensify.

3. When airing the apartment, the symptoms decrease or temporarily disappear.

If you have a suspicion of poisoning with toxic substances that are released by furniture in your home, you can contact specialized organizations that will conduct a sanitary and epidemiological examination for formaldehyde. The cost of such an examination is not cheap: on average, it can range from 3 to 5 thousand UAH for an average apartment.

According to experts who conduct such examinations, in an ordinary apartment with chipboard furniture, the level of formaldehyde is 0.07-0.09 ‰, while the norm is 0.06 ‰.

During the operation of furniture, other hazardous substances are released into the air of residential premises: ammonia, acetates and phthalates, styrene, methanol, phenol, toluene, xylene, phthalic anhydride, ethylbenzene - this list depends on the chemical composition of the materials used.

How to protect yourself from furniture made of chipboard and MDF?

What to do with such furniture and how to reduce the evaporation of formaldehyde and other hazardous substances?

1. Apply several layers of glue, varnish or paint to all unprotected surfaces of the furniture (including the back walls). Take a water-dispersion paint as a paint: it does not contain toxic substances and will create a protective film.
2. PVC edging can also be used as a protective agent.
3. Tables, cabinets, etc. interior items can be pasted over with a self-adhesive film or covered with natural materials. This will significantly reduce the amount of fumes of toxic substances.
4. All furniture damage (scratches, chips, etc.) should be covered immediately with a protective agent (see point 1).
5. If possible, place furniture away from radiators and other heating devices.
6. Ventilate the room as often as possible and control the humidity.

Many people who buy new furniture or plan to renovate an apartment are faced with such a thing as formaldehyde. It turns out that this colorless gas can be released into the air for years and adversely affect health. What is the source of formaldehyde and how dangerous it is, we will consider in this article.

Brief description of the substance

Formaldehyde (methanal, formic aldehyde) is a colorless, toxic, highly soluble gas with a pungent odor, hazard class 1 in water, polar solvents and alcohols. An aqueous solution of formaldehyde stabilized with urea is used in the furniture and woodworking industries in the production of chipboard and other "plywood" materials. It is used in the manufacture of thermoplastic polymers and in industrial organic synthesis. It is widely used in light industry, medicine, cosmetology, agriculture. It is characterized by good antiseptic, bactericidal, tannic and preservative properties.

• The maximum single maximum allowable concentration (MPC) of formaldehyde (Russia) is 0.05 mg/m³;
• The average daily MPC (Russia) is 0.01 mg/m³;
• MPC substances in the air of residential premises (European countries): 120 μg / m 3;
• Odor threshold: 0.07-0.2 mg/m 3 ;
• The threshold of the reflex response of the animal organism: 0.04-0.098 mg/m 3 ;
• Threshold of irritant effect on the mucous membrane of human vision: 0.012 mg/m 3 .

Human danger

Formaldehyde is a major air pollutant. It accumulates in the human body and is very difficult to remove from it. The most dangerous is the long-term effect of the substance on the body, in which it has allergenic, mutagenic and carcinogenic effects. Clinical manifestations can develop in a different period of time, which largely depends on the state of immunity. For some it's months, for others it's years. Children, the elderly and people suffering from chronic diseases are prone to strong negative influences.

• It has a pronounced toxicity and adversely affects the reproductive organs and genetic material. The danger as a mutagen lies in the fact that the substance not only leads to the development of somatic mutations, but also the body itself accumulates these mutations and subsequently they are transmitted to offspring.
• Poisons the lungs, irritates the respiratory tract and makes breathing difficult. It can cause asthma and provoke asthmatic attacks.
• Irritates the eyes and skin, provokes the development of neurotic eczema.
• Causes the development of gastrointestinal ulcers, damage to the kidneys and liver, leads to unreasonable weight loss.
• It has a pronounced negative effect on the central nervous system: it causes fatigue, headaches, depression, depression. It impairs performance and general well-being.

Listed as a carcinogen. An international cancer risk assessment agency has proven that formaldehyde, which is used in the production of plastics, resins, paints and varnishes, textiles, as well as a preservative and disinfectant, is associated with an increased risk of oncological neoplasms of the nasopharynx.

Sources of formaldehyde emission in everyday life

Our houses and apartments, which are a place for rest of the soul and body, we ourselves or the hands of negligent builders and workers can turn into a real chemical laboratory! In addition to dangerous formaldehyde, phenol, toluene, xylene, benzene, styrene, etc. can be in the air of residential premises. If elementary ventilation is neglected, the concentration of harmful chemicals can double in just a day.

According to WHO statistics, the air in urban residential areas is 4-6 times dirtier than on the street, and the main contribution to the chemical "bouquet" is made by finishing and building materials and furniture.

Formaldehyde vapor is a combustion product of organic substances that are present in:

• exhaust gases of cars (therefore, excesses are more often recorded in apartments of houses located along major transport routes);
• smog;
• tobacco smoke, including from electronic cigarettes;
• fumes from fireplaces, gas stoves.

Chemical vapors evaporate into the air from building materials:

• Chipboard, fiberboard, FRP, from which the prevailing amount of modern furniture is produced. Plates impregnated with urea-formaldehyde and phenol-formaldehyde resins (which make up 6-18% of the total mass of the material) are the main building material - a source of formaldehyde in the house. For those who do not know the smell of formaldehyde, there is an easy way to “get to know it” - go to the point where they sell chipboard in the market and sniff the plates;
• MDF, OSB, plywood with phenol-formaldehyde resins in the composition, used for interior decoration and insulation of residential buildings;
• adhesives, mastics, paints, varnishes, sealants (especially cheap ones);
• market, non-certified finishing materials: wallpaper, laminate, linoleum, skirting boards, etc., which are the brightest of finishing materials.

Also, the source of the substance can be:

• all cracks that are sealed with sealant. The prevailing share of sealants is made on the basis of resins that emit harmful gas;
• soundproofing materials and insulation made of foam plastic, cheap components bonded with resins;
• beds, mattresses, sofas and other upholstered furniture, carpets, heavy curtains. Formaldehyde is emitted from furniture if it was used in its production (at any stage of technological production). But formaldehyde in fabrics (carpets and curtains) can accumulate from other sources and subsequently be released into the air.

One of the first signs of the presence of an increased content of a substance in the air is the appearance of a sharp characteristic odor, which can be described as a hospital or pharmacy. This smell is noticeable even at a concentration 25 times less than the permissible one. Some people think that it smells like new furniture, but in fact, it is the smell of formaldehyde.

Symptoms of acute and chronic formaldehyde poisoning

Serious poisoning with the internal intake of a formaldehyde solution and contact with the substance on the skin, as well as poisoning with its vapors, is possible in the conditions of chemical and other production in which this chemical is part of the technological process. At home, formaldehyde is inhaled into the body during breathing.

Formaldehyde poisoning can develop in three ways:

• when ingested;
• by inhalation;
• upon contact with the skin.

Accordingly, the symptoms will also vary, prevailing from a certain system: when swallowed, the gastrointestinal tract is more affected, and when inhaled, the respiratory organs are affected.

A short-term ingestion of a large amount of a substance into the body leads to the development of acute poisoning, and a long-term intake in small doses, even slightly exceeding the MPC, causes chronic poisoning. Signs of poisoning vary and vary from person to person.

Internal intake of 60-90 ml of an aqueous solution of formaldehyde (formalin) leads to death! An airborne concentration of 20 mg/m 3 results in death within 30 minutes of exposure!

If timely first aid is not provided for acute poisoning, the following conditions develop that pose a direct threat to life:

• Gastrointestinal bleeding. This is a consequence of the internal ingestion of a substance into the body (accidental or intentional use), which develops when the vascular walls of the submucosal layer of the stomach and duodenum are corroded. The patient notes increasing weakness, dark vomiting or vomiting with blood, black loose stools.
• Acute liver failure, toxic hepatitis. It also develops when a substance is ingested. The skin and mucous membranes become noticeably yellow, there is severe pain in the right hypochondrium, consciousness is disturbed.
• Acute kidney injury: edema, complete absence of urine.
• Acute circulatory failure.
• Edema of the mucous membrane of the larynx, lungs develops in case of poisoning with vapors and leads to suffocation.

First aid for the injured

The most important thing is to immediately call an ambulance! The life of a person often depends on the time of her arrival.

• The victim needs to provide an influx of fresh air and rest. If inhalation poisoning occurs, the person should be removed/carried out of this room.
• Give the victim clean cool water to drink (if he is conscious and there are no signs of ingestion of the substance). You can not try to wash the stomach on your own, induce vomiting: this will be done by doctors using special solutions.
• Rinse the affected area of ​​the skin with running cool water for 15-20 minutes, another formaldehyde solution has got on the skin.
• Ensure the airway is open if the person is unconscious: lay him on his back and turn his head to the side.

Inpatient treatment of acute formaldehyde poisoning

As a rule, even at the scene of the incident, the first aid team takes measures to prevent further complications and save a person's life:

• Probe washing of the stomach cavity with water or saline.
• The introduction of hemostatic drugs in the event of signs of bleeding from the gastrointestinal tract.
• The introduction of painkillers for severe pain (often with a burn of the esophagus), drugs that stabilize vital signs: heartbeat, pressure, breathing.
• Setting a dropper with solutions to reduce intoxication.
• Intubation and artificial respiration for laryngeal edema.

The victim is hospitalized in the intensive care unit or in the toxicology department, where he is diagnosed and treated as follows:

• the introduction of ammonium carbonate or 3% chloride - formalin antidotes;
• hemodialysis (with kidney damage);
• surgery in the presence of bleeding from the gastrointestinal tract;
• other infusion therapy in the required volume.

The prognosis largely depends on the timeliness of medical care. In any case, this is a life-threatening condition that requires serious inpatient treatment. After suffering poisoning, sensitivity to formaldehyde increases significantly, so a subsequent similar situation can be fatal!

How to test indoor air for formaldehyde

It is easy to suspect trouble: if you feel bad at home, do not get enough sleep, there is constant irritability and discomfort - it's time to take air measurements in the apartment. People react differently to the chemical, and some are more sensitive. You should be especially vigilant if you have recently moved into a new house or renovated your apartment.

The concentration of formaldehyde that is created in the premises depends not only on the sources of its release, but also on the temperature and humidity of the air, the type and speed of ventilation (ventilation frequency), the type of heating (central or stove) and the presence of other sources using combustion processes (smokers , gas stoves).

• New materials are active releases of chemicals into the air.
• Formaldehyde emission decreases as materials “age” and reaches background levels after 3-5 years. However, if we are talking about upholstered furniture, the release of chemistry can occur even after 10 years of operation.
• High temperatures and high humidity, stove heating, gas stoves determine the increased release of the substance into the air.

How and when to start analyzing indoor air?

Most often, people turn to the laboratory immediately after buying furniture or repairing. But it is better to wait 1-3 months. Even after the highest quality repairs, it is recommended to properly ventilate the apartment for several weeks. The same applies to the option when new furniture is purchased.

• You should not contact the organizations on the basis of which the laboratory operates (even if it is accredited) and which carry out apartment repairs themselves. There is a high chance that the results will be falsified in order to impose their repair and "safe" materials on you.
• Measurements should be carried out by representatives of the sanitary and epidemiological service or specialists from an independent accredited laboratory.
• Household devices for home monitoring of the air environment give only an approximate estimate!

How are measurements taken? Most often, laboratory specialists conduct air tests in the apartment and on the street at the same time, and at once for several of the most common pollutants - formaldehyde, nitrogen, ammonia, carbon, phenol and hydrogen sulfide. On average, the procedure takes 30-40 minutes. With the help of devices, air is pumped through special liquid reagents, which are placed in sorption tubes (for each chemical - its own). The analysis of the selected samples is carried out by different methods already in the laboratory, one of the modern ones is gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection

How to test furniture for formaldehyde?

Chemical analysis of a material sample is carried out in laboratories and requires the provision of this same sample. those. part of the furniture will have to say goodbye. Well, if the furniture was made to order, and the sample was preserved. In other cases, you will have to sacrifice something.

We are in a hurry to disappoint those who believe that they can save on materials and then check them for “purity” by passing them for examination - examining materials for the presence of formaldehyde in it is an expensive pleasure, so in the end the purchase can become golden, and if it turns out to be that the material is of poor quality, it will be doubly insulting.

How to protect yourself from harmful chemicals

Unfortunately, no preventive measure can guarantee the cleanliness of indoor air 100%. However, following some simple safety rules will minimize the likelihood that you are breathing a mixture of chemicals, and not clean air:

• Carefully choose building and finishing materials and buy them in stores, not in the markets.
• If possible, give preference to products made of solid wood or metal. When buying materials from pressed wood, you should choose laminated products or with veneered ends.
• Ask sellers for documents that are a mandatory requirement of the technical regulation on the safety of building materials:
  • certificate or declaration of conformity with the prescribed manufacturer and place of production;
  • quality passport;
  • technical documents on safe use.
• Be sure to keep copies of certificates and receipts. If in the future toxic substances are detected in the indoor air, the source of which was certain materials, a claim can be made to the store within 2 years.
• Do not use materials that are intended for outdoor use for interior repairs! Yes, they are often cheaper, but they are subject to other safety requirements, less stringent.
• Do not buy into the signs "environmentally friendly", "environmentally friendly". They are not regulated by law in any way and do not at all guarantee that the material is safe. The main confirmation of safety is the relevant documents!
• Also, do not buy into quick-drying, super-flexible, extra-strong and other materials with improved properties. Most often, all these additional effects are achieved through a variety of chemical additives.
• Do not move into an apartment / house immediately after repair and “packing” it with new furniture: at least for the first 3 months, your cozy home is nothing more than a small environmental disaster. Even if individually each chemical does not exceed the norm, but their combined effect, and sometimes mutual reinforcement of the negative impact on humans, creates dangerous air pollution.
• Maintain a healthy microclimate in your living quarters: ventilate rooms often and do not abuse heaters.
• Wash fabrics before use.
• Get indoor plants that can absorb "chemistry": dracaena, fern, bush chrysanthemum, ivy.
• When purchasing air purifiers, give preference to photocatalytic devices. It has been scientifically proven that they are able to remove formaldehyde from the air.
• As for the protective polyurethane coating on pressed wood products, which is able to retain the substance inside the product and prevent its evaporation into the air, this is relative protection. For effective protection, such coatings must completely cover the surface of the product, including corners, edges, edges, which is not always feasible.

In addition to chemical air pollution, radiation, electromagnetic radiation, bacterial pollutants, allergens, dust mites and a number of other environmental factors can have a negative impact on health and worsen the well-being of people, so it is recommended to conduct a comprehensive environmental assessment of residential premises, which, unfortunately, will cost a lot. .

Today, furniture made from chipboard (chipboard) is still popular. This is a fairly cheap material, which, however, can significantly damage human health. Manufacturers of such furniture claim that the harm of chipboard has not been proven, that these are all just words. They claim that such a myth is spread by their competitors, who produce furniture from wood and lose customers.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recognized particle board as a carcinogenic material back in 1985. Many European furniture companies have therefore abandoned the use of chipboard in their production. In 1996, Moscow issued an order to limit the use of chipboard in the construction of kindergartens.

What is the danger of chipboard for our health?

Chipboards are pressed sawdust glued together with resin. And it also contains a toxic compound - formaldehyde. One of its main chemical properties is volatility. Therefore, furniture made from chipboard is just a storehouse of dangerous gas that can be released for more than 10 years. A one-time exposure to formaldehyde on the human body is unlikely to lead to serious consequences, but the furniture will not stand in your house for a week or a month. At least a few years. Science warns: formaldehyde adversely affects genetic material, the reproductive system, respiratory tract, eyes and skin, and the central nervous system.

If we haven't convinced you yet, let's move on to mathematics. Experts considered that when measuring the level of formaldehyde in ordinary apartments, the result exceeds the norm by 1.5-25 times!

By the way, wood-fiber boards (MDF) also have formaldehyde in their composition.

When using chipboard and fiberboard in children's rooms, it is imperative to take care of the laminating coating, which blocks the release of formaldehyde into the air.

There are several types of protective coating:

1. Melamine(laminated chipboard)
   This is a paper coating on which varnish is also applied.
2. Laminate(laminated chipboard).
   It's plastic. Made to look like wood and other natural materials.

The protective properties of the coating will come to naught if it is damaged. Therefore, the buyer should carefully consider the purchased product. When buying furniture made of chipboard, take a closer look at the edges and corners (just at these points the coating plates are connected).

But if you have already purchased furniture made of chipboard and are very worried, we will reassure you only by giving you a few of its advantages. One of them is water resistance. Therefore, chipboard is used in the production of kitchens. Chipboard can be painted and processed in every possible way. They are not susceptible to insects. However, back to our topic.

What to do with low-quality chipboard?

A pronounced sign of formaldehyde is a characteristic smell. If the purchased furniture exudes a pleasant aroma, it's bad. Firstly, the suffocating smell quickly becomes annoying. Secondly, by deliberately keeping such furniture in the house, you are slowly killing yourself. But, as a rule, after a week the “aroma” disappears. Sometimes this doesn't happen. Then you need to immediately return the furniture to the seller.

However, sellers are not always willing to meet dissatisfied customers. Therefore, we remind you: keep the cash receipt and the purchase act for furniture. This can help you if you have problems with returning a defective product.

Harmful substances are released from chipboard and when heated. Therefore, it is more expedient to replace such material with a more expensive one - a fine fraction (MDF). Resin is not used in its manufacture. The fraction is glued together with the help of lignin (it is released when the wood is heated. And this natural substance is completely harmless.

Finally, we note: no matter what the manufacturers of chipboard and fiberboard say, wooden products are much more pleasant and safer, albeit many times more expensive. But health is priceless. As for dangerous emissions, even without formaldehyde, there are enough forced dangerous chemical compounds in our lives.

So claims author of the book "Harmful Goods" Leonid Rudnitsky, who has researched hundreds of the most common items that we use every day. It turned out that dishes, clothes, household chemicals - and almost everything that surrounds us - can be harmful to our health. Including home furniture.

How to determine the quality of furniture at home and protect yourself and your children? L. Rudnitsky tried to answer this question in one of the chapters of his book:

The furniture that surrounds us and the air it poisons

Furniture surrounds us always and everywhere, it has become such an integral part of the life of the majority of the inhabitants of the planet that we don’t even think about what we actually sit on, lie on, what we save money on, from which, lovingly, we erase the dust ... How the lounge chair looks comfortable: a wide seat with a cozy upholstery, the back comfortably leans back, enticing and bewitching, promising peace, relaxation, nirvana. The armrests are slightly rounded, so that it is pleasant to rest your hands on them. There is even a footstool that can be moved up to the chair. It would seem that nothing can disturb our peace, and on the contrary, give rest to overworked members, the opportunity to take a nap and get up cheerful and healthy, ready for new achievements.

But it was not there. Our furniture is often fraught with unconscious danger. Emissions from the materials from which some pieces of furniture are made can cause persistent poisoning, comparable to the effect of carcinogenic toxins from car exhaust gases. If the material is solid, then the delights of furniture designers who are poorly familiar with ergonomics, which make the furniture fragile and unreliable, can really injure you.

Suspicions of allergenicity are caused by many furniture models assembled in China. The secret of frequent allergies among the owners of such furniture is that manufacturers often use an anti-mold agent to protect chairs from moisture. In itself, a completely ordinary event, but the danger to the health of users has been repeatedly proven by doctors.

If you thought that sitting not on a chair or sofa, but on the floor in order to avoid contact with harmful substances, is a way out of an alarming situation, then I have to disappoint you. Not an option, at least not if it's a PVC floor.

PVC stands for Polyvinyl Chloride and is one of the most questionable synthetic materials. Maybe you are perplexed - they say, who puts the synthetic floor at home, wanting to spread the dubious charm of the office in their own apartment?

In vain, because every fifth of us does it! Statistics show that the market share of PVC as flooring is 20%.

PVC is hardly suitable for the living room, simply because it is not cozy enough with it. But in the kitchen, in the hallway, in the bathroom and even in some children's rooms, the floor is made of PVC. After all, it is easy to care for, it is waterproof and very durable. In addition, there are types of design that can make such a floor quite acceptable.

But, unfortunately, such a coating cannot be recommended for any room. This was reported some time ago to readers by the environmental magazine Oko-Test, which took a closer look at 14 types of PVC floors. The unequivocal result of the test is catastrophic.

Criticism of testing laboratories was caused by the plasticizers used in the material. They are necessary in order to create a flexible synthetic mass from a hard-to-flow, brittle material that can be rolled out and stacked.

Phthalate compounds are predominantly used in floor coverings, especially the plasticizing compounds DINP (diisononyl phthalate) and DIDP (diisodecyl phthalate). They make up 10 to 30% of the material. But they, like the long-standing plasticizer DEHP (diethylhexyl phthalate), are banned as plasticizers for toys for children under 3 years old.

However, PVC floors are not considered a place for children to play, which means they are not subject to the ban. At the same time, no one thinks about small children who crawl on PVC floor coverings and sometimes even lick it or bite the corners that come off. The result is childhood asthma from crawling on the floor. But no one will ever write such a diagnosis to you.

How to navigate the market of the proposed modern goods for the home, for the family? First and foremost, turn on your natural common sense. The rest I'll tell you now.

Let's start with the aesthetic perception of furniture and its proven impact on maintaining human health, and, consequently, peace in the family.

It may seem to a person that he does not react to color in any way, but his eye is not in vain adapted by nature to capture the slightest color shades (up to 1.5 million tones) and react to them in a certain way. The subconscious of a person and his genetic memory fix all color information. Therefore, being in a certain color scheme can imperceptibly influence and guide our emotions and actions.

Unfavorable colors for furniture are:

Blue - creates a feeling of cold and discomfort;

Brown (including wood trim) - causes melancholy, leads to the development of depression;

Gray - evokes sadness and despondency;

Red - creates nervous tension, leading to hypertension;

Black and purple - significantly reduce the space, which can be harmful to the psyche of people suffering from claustrophobia.

All this affects the human psyche, calming him or, conversely, destroying the nervous system. Correctly choosing the color scheme of the surrounding furniture and interiors of the house, it is quite possible to create one or another psychological aura in the house. The weather in the house, about which my favorite singer sang so well.

Chipboard furniture

Chipboards (chipboards), which are used to make furniture, are pressed under conditions of high temperature and high pressure. At the same time, artificial (urea-formaldehyde or phenol-formaldehyde) resins are added to small wood chips as a binder.

After pressing, chipboards are coated with films made from thermosetting polymers. Highly active substances such as formaldehydes, phenols, phthalates and polymers released from chipboard are very harmful to human health. Their presence is easily determined by an unpleasant odor.

To our misfortune, at present most of the furniture is made from chipboard, for which manufacturers have their own reasons. But should we buy chipboard furniture?

If only because the formaldehyde contained in them is a highly toxic allergenic substance, which, when it enters the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract with air, can cause bronchitis, laryngitis, pneumonia, not counting the “little things”: eye irritation, runny nose and cough, addictive, turning into chronic.

WHO officially declared formaldehyde a carcinogen, since it was unequivocally established that the substance can actually cause cancer. In addition, under the influence of formaldehyde, degenerative changes in the liver, kidneys, heart and brain develop.

Exposure to phenol and formaldehyde is also dangerous for its long-term effects, those that appear after a long time and, which is especially scary, can be passed on to the next generations. What to do if you still have to buy furniture made of chipboard?

Firstly, it is not recommended to use chipboard to mask batteries in an apartment (which is very often done for decorative purposes), since under the influence of heat, the release of harmful substances into the air increases. Also, you should not use chipboard for floor insulation, if, in addition, the plates are bare and not covered with anything on top.

Secondly, it should be remembered that particle boards are divided into three classes according to the content of free (that is, having the ability to stand out from furniture) formaldehyde:

Class E1 (up to 10 mg per 100 g of dry slab);

Class E2 (10-20 mg);

Class E3 (30-60 mg).

To protect yourself from the harmful effects of formaldehyde and other highly active substances, when buying furniture, you need to require documents (hygienic certificate) indicating the safety of the product, as well as pay attention to the quality of the finish - whether the end surfaces of the panels and hidden cavities.

Laminate is a special film that is covered with wood or chipboard. The tape itself is harmless. The danger is the glue and mastic on which the laminate is held.

Poorly processed edges and chipped chipboard are also dangerous. These areas must be isolated.

More advanced than chipboard is MDF - a high-quality and more expensive furniture material made by hot pressing wood dust without the use of toxic binders.

Harmful substances can be released from furniture for a long time, moreover, according to some experts, furniture begins to emit harmful substances even more over time, as the resins begin to decompose.

It should also be noted that during a fire, burning chipboard (like fiberboard, plywood, etc.) releases large amounts of formaldehyde into the air, which can lead to immediate poisoning.

Particle boards used in the manufacture of furniture must be veneered, laminated and protected with a PVC layer.

Furniture for children should be made only from chipboard with formaldehyde emission class E1, the concentration of volatile substances of which is 3 times lower than the maximum allowable standards.

the site thanks the publishing house "Peter" for the provided excerpt.

Of chipboard, it is still quite popular, although it has more practical substitutes, it is inexpensive and this attracts buyers. The health risks of chipboard were recognized by the World Health Organization back in 1985. Manufacturers and sellers of chipboards have an opposite opinion: they insist that this decision was politicized and has no evidence base.

Chipboard - chipboard. Chipboard - a similar plate, only laminated.

Like MDF, chipboard is dangerous with potential formaldehyde emissions. This substance is officially recognized as a carcinogen. Studies have shown that excess formaldehyde in the environment can cause cancer. The fiberboard material has the same problem.

The fact is that the composition of chipboard is chips and glued together with resin, which releases a dangerous carcinogen. The environmental friendliness of chipboard is constantly being improved by prohibiting hazardous types of resins for gluing. Non-certified plates, which are made in semi-legal workshops, are recognized as especially dangerous. From low-quality products, formaldehyde can be released up to 10 years.

In order to protect the consumer from negative effects on the body, manufacturers cover the plates:

KDSP (Laminated): paperless coating method, lacquer (melamine) is applied.
Chipboard (Laminated): a method of applying plastic to wood.
The coating really makes sense if it does not have the slightest damage. If you see mechanical damage on laminated furniture, then you need to immediately eliminate them. Especially relevant is the problem for the furniture of children's rooms.

Experts note a sharp deterioration in the health status of people with asthma. Formaldehyde, which is part of the chipboard, causes irreparable harm to the respiratory organs (nose, nasopharynx, larynx). a negative effect on the skin and nervous system of a person was noted.

Table of the harmful effects of formaldehyde, which is part of the chipboard:

Defeat Concentration of formaldehyde, ppm
No effect Up to 0.05
Neurophysiological effect 0.05-1.5
Smell threshold 0.05-1.0
Headache, eyes begin to tear 0.01-2.0
Nausea, respiratory irritation 0.1-25
Nausea, vomiting, irritation of the lower respiratory organs 5-30
Pulmonary edema 50-100
Death Over 100

How to protect yourself from harm

The harmful properties of chipboard can be reduced by covering all mechanical damage with resistant material. If the furniture is not sufficiently protected, you will definitely feel the characteristic smell of formaldehyde. You need to be wary even if the smell is pleasant to the nose.

When buying, ask the seller for a product certificate. Be sure to pay attention to the class, choose only a product with class E-1, in which the permissible value of formaldehyde vapor is the lowest.

After a week of using such furniture at home, you can no longer feel the smell. However, if after this time a strong smell is felt, you should immediately contact the seller and, if possible, return the purchased product.

Pros of using

We doubt that any of the advantages that we describe are capable of making a person still risk health. However, some of the advantages include:

Moisture resistance.
Low price.
Ease of handling and application.
We strongly do not recommend buying furniture made of chipboard. In our opinion, products made from this material can only be used outdoors.

We try to defend ourselves

According to experts, formaldehyde can be released for up to 14 years. The most active discharges occur in the first 2 years. We strongly advise against placing furniture close to heaters. Chipboard furniture is harmful to health even without heating, and with an increased temperature of its environment, the harm can increase significantly.

Despite the fact that according to GOST, up to 10 mg of formaldehyde per 100 grams of dry weight of the material is allowed, choose class E1 boards. In this class of products, up to 8 mg of a carcinogen is allowed. Carefully check the corners of your furniture for damage, if any, cover them with insulating materials.

If you see an E2 type marking on furniture, remove it from your apartment immediately. This marking means that the furniture cannot be used in residential areas. The manufacture of such items is illegal.

findings

If you have already decided to buy furniture using chipboard technology, cooperate only with large companies. Usually, high-quality certified products are hard to find in small provincial warehouse stores. If your financial situation allows you, you should not save on health, natural furniture is much safer.