By Regulation 1464/2023, published on 14 July, the European Commission sets a limit of 0.062 mg/m³ air for formaldehyde emissions, half the value set in 1989 by the World Health Organisation on which the current E1 classification is based. Wood-based panels and furniture have been taken into account when setting the limit, as they are considered as possible sources formaldehyde emission. Companies in the sector will have three years to comply with the new regulation, says a press release issued by CATAS, the renowned Italian wood and furniture research and testing institute.
The European Commission has set a new limit for the concentration of formaldehyde in ambient air.
Regulation 2023/1464, published on 14 July, reduces the previous values by setting a limit of 0.062 mg/m³ for formaldehyde emissions taking into account, in particular, wood-based products and furniture as possible sources formaldehyde. The provision prescribes a new limit which is exactly half the value indicated in 1989 by the World Health Organisation (0.124 mg/m³), on which the well-known and well-established E1 classification is based. This is now not only the recognised industry standard but also the legally adopted reference class in many European countries.
The Regulation affects many other products for which specific formaldehyde emission limits are defined. For example, for fabrics, leathers, plastics or electronic products the limit is now 0.08 mg/m³.
It should be stressed that for the first time the entire European wood and furniture sector must adopt a rule The classification of E1 is a precise classification by the European authorities which, unlike the E1 classification, is mandatory for all European countries and obviously includes all products imported into the EU.
Companies in the sector will have three years to comply with the new regulation. This period is necessary for the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) to define, with the help of the European associations and organisations concerned, the appropriate guidelines on testing methods.
The new regulation and its possible consequences on the timber market were discussed at the webinar organised on 26 July 2023 by CATAS and FederlegnoArredo (Federation of Italian associations representing companies involved in the processing of wood and derived products). On this occasion Franco Bulian, CATAS General Manager, underlined:
"One point I would like to draw attention to is that the very strict measures set by Europe will also change the comparison with other limits in the international scenario. If before the new EU Regulation we were generally above the limits currently applied in the US market, now the situation is reversed, with consequences that are difficult to foresee.
This new regulation demonstrates how decisively Europe is moving towards concrete action for product safety. The recent provisions to reduce the use of diisocyanates in adhesives and paints or the measures on melamine clearly demonstrate the European Union's clear attention to safety issues involving our sector as well.".
Why such strict control of formaldehyde emissions is required
Formaldehyde is a colourless, flammable gas with a strong pungent odour, soluble in water and alcohol and insoluble in petroleum ether, very unstable in the gaseous state because of its tendency to polymerise. In 2008, the World Health Organization reclassified formaldehyde as a Category 1 substance that is potentially carcinogenic. The substance is considered toxic and can have an irritating and necrotizing action on the skin and mucous membranes, with prolonged exposure leading to irritation of the skin of the face and arms, dermatitis and conjunctivitis.
In wood-based panels such as chipboard, MDF or OSB, formaldehyde arrives with ureo-formaldehyde and melamine-formaldehyde adhesives. These are used to glue wood chips or wood fibre. Much of the formaldehyde remains chemically bound inside the boards. However, some remains free, in the form of gas. This is the dangerous one because it tends to escape outside the boards. The greater the amount released from a board, the more dangerous it is to those in the same environment. Formaldehyde emission is the main quality indicator of wood-based products. It represents the amount of formaldehyde released by a wood-based panel through its faces and edges into the ambient air under normal or accelerated conditions (high temperature, draughts).
Formaldehyde isn't just in wood tiles, it's all around us. It's in disinfectants, wallpaper adhesives, paints, hard-wearing textiles, insulation foams, room fresheners, candles and scented sticks. Cigarette smoke contains large amounts of formaldehyde, as does bee venom, hence the occurrence of anaphylactic shock in allergic people. More information on formaldehyde and emission limits can be found at here.
What is CATAS
CATAS S.p.A. is the most prestigious Italian research and testing institute in the field of wood and furniture. The institute's laboratories are located in both of Italy's main production areas, San Giovanni al Natisone (Udine) and Lissone (Monza). The laboratory's expert team of chemists, engineers and mathematicians provides applied research, testing and certification services to the wood and furniture industry.
CATAS departments carry out a wide range of tests and research on raw materials and finished products, verifying that a product meets both the manufacturer's requirements and standards of quality, safety, strength and durability. Tests are carried out in accordance with national (UNI, DIN, BS, NF, ASTM, ANSI, etc.), European (EN) and international (ISO) standards. More than 50,000 tests/year are carried out at CATAS. Thanks to its expertise and specialisation, CATAS is considered the largest European testing and applied research laboratory in the wood and furniture sector.
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