> “Once we understood how this lignin-mediated Fenton reaction worked, and how it was at play in the wood,” says Goodell, “we had some guesses as to how we might keep the reaction from occurring.” Antioxidants—often found in breakfast cereal to preserve freshness—might block the oxygen radicals from being produced, while simple “chelators” that tie up iron, and which are often found in foods as well, could prevent iron from reacting with its surroundings. > >As it turns out, the team’s experimental work verified their findings with these food-safe compounds and these ingredients are the building block of a patent that Goodell and his University of North Texas colleague and co-author, Sheldon Shi, recently filed. By simply mixing these antioxidants and chelators with wood, or, in some cases, spraying them on wood surfaces, the researchers have shown that the release of formaldehyde can be mitigated and brought down to safe levels. Formaldehyde mitigation may be possible for commercial wood-based products as well