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BornAgainSpecial t1_ir2sy1m wrote

The formaldehyde release is from particle board, not "wood", and it's mainly from China since they use much smaller amounts in other countries. Studies like these are ill-intentioned because the solution is to stop using formaldehyde, not to cover it up. It's like saying it's okay to force 4 year old boys to sit still and listen to lecturers for 8 hours a day because we can just give them Ritalin on top of it.

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vanyali t1_ir3d8qh wrote

Thank you, that’s what I suspected and I’m glad to have it confirmed. WOOD is OK. It’s glued-together-chips-and-sawdust products that are the problem.

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zoinkability t1_ir3gt1w wrote

Even plain wood does produce small amounts of formaldehyde naturally. Natural wood emits less than urea formaldehyde and phenyl formaldehyde glues, it’s true, but still some. Given that this research seems aimed at reducing the formation of formaldehyde in the wood itself, and glues/binders typically already have formaldehyde in them and no chemical process is needed to produce it, I am guessing they really are referring to the naturally occurring formaldehyde that is emitted from the wood itself. Which would not be covering up nasty pressed board but instead increasing air quality even in a no-added-formaldehyde construction.

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