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Angela Csondes, Air Pollution SpecialistSubstance Evaluation Section
California Environmental Protection Agency
Air Resources Board
Meeting of the Construction Specification Institute
January 9, 2008
CaliforniaCalifornia’’s New Composite s New Composite Wood Products Formaldehyde Wood Products Formaldehyde
RegulationRegulation
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OverviewOverview
• Background• Airborne Toxic Control Measure (ATCM)
- Overview- Emission Standards
• Resin Technology• Products Available• Costs and Benefits of the
Approved ATCM• Closing Comments
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California Health & Safety California Health & Safety Code RequirementsCode Requirements
• § 39657 - Requires ARB to identify toxic air contaminants; identify minimum threshold level if any
• § 39658 - Requires ARB to develop Air Toxic Control Measures (ATCMs)
• § 39666 - For compounds with no safe threshold level, the HSC requires the development of control measures based on best available control technology, or more effective controls in consideration of costs and risk
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Why Formaldehyde?Why Formaldehyde?
• ARB identified as TAC in 1992 with no safe threshold for exposure
- nasopharyngeal cancer- acute and chronic effects – eye, nose, respiratory irritant
• Formaldehyde is both an indoor and outdoor health risk- indoor concentrations contribute to ambient levels- CA average concentration above OEHHA chronic REL (3 µg/m3)
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0
50
100
150
200
250
300 AverageMaximum
(µg/
m3 )
Acute REL(94 µg/m3)
Chronic REL(3 µg/m3)
70 years at 1 µg/m3 = 6 lifetime cancers per million
Typical Formaldehyde LevelsTypical Formaldehyde Levels
Outdoor Statewide
2006
Classroom Indoor
Office Buildings
Indoor
Manufactured Homes Indoor
Conventional HomesIndoor
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Airborne Toxic Control Measure Airborne Toxic Control Measure (ATCM): Overview(ATCM): Overview
• Establishes new formaldehyde emission limits for manufactured particleboard (PB), medium density fiberboard (MDF), and hardwood plywood (HWPW) panels
• Applies to products sold, supplied, used, or manufactured for sale in California
• Applies to manufacturers, distributors, importers, fabricators, retailers
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• Requires finished products to be made from compliant PB, MDF, and HWPW panels
• Manufacturer Third Party Certification (TPC) and Quality Assurance Requirements (QA)
• Enforcement program- Chain of Custody- Emissions Testing
• Sell through• Exemptions
Airborne Toxic Control Measure Airborne Toxic Control Measure (ATCM): Overview(ATCM): Overview –– contcont’’dd
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2002 CWP Survey2002 CWP Survey
• Composite wood products survey to manufacturers across U.S.
• Survey pertained to manufacturers, products, resins and processes
• Response rate 50-80% • Findings:
Highest formaldehyde emitting composite wood products were HWPW, PB, MDFMajority were made with urea-formaldehyde resins (UF resins)
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ParticleboardParticleboard
Average Formaldehyde Concentration Vs Total Annual Production
0
100,000,000
200,000,000
300,000,000
400,000,000
500,000,000
600,000,000
0.125 0.13 0.14 0.15 0.16 0.17 0.18 0.19 0.205 0.21 0.23 0.24
Average Formaldehyde Concentration (ppm)
Tota
l Ann
ual P
rodu
ctio
n (s
q. ft
.)
100%Production
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Medium Density FiberboardMedium Density FiberboardAverage Formaldehyde Concentration vs Total Annual Production
0
50,000,000
100,000,000
150,000,000
200,000,000
250,000,000
300,000,000
350,000,000
400,000,000
450,000,000
0.025 0.035 0.18 0.19 0.22 0.23 0.25 0.26 0.27 0.28 0.31 1.6
Average Formaldehyde Concentration (ppm)
Tota
l Ann
ual P
rodu
ctio
n (s
q. ft
.)
100%Production
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Hardwood PlywoodHardwood PlywoodAverage Formaldehyde Concentration vs Total Annual Production
0
50,000,000
100,000,000
150,000,000
200,000,000
250,000,000
300,000,000
350,000,000
400,000,000
450,000,000
500,000,000
0.07 0.08 0.09 0.11 0.149 0.75
Average Formaldehyde Concentration (ppm)
Tota
l Ann
ual P
rodu
ctio
n (s
q. ft
.)
100%Production
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0.1 0.2 0.3
Particleboard
Medium DensityFiberboard
HardwoodPlywood
2002 CWP Survey2002 CWP Survey-- Resin UseResin UsePF
UF
MeOH-UF
Melamine-UFUF
MeOH-UF
NH3-UF
MDI
Avg. Formaldehyde Emissions (PPM)
HUD PB standard
HUD HWPW standard
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• Phase 1
• Phase 2
Approved FormaldehydeStandards
Approved FormaldehydeApproved FormaldehydeStandardsStandards
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Product Jan 1, 2009 Jul 1, 2009
HWPW-VC 0.08 ppm -----
HWPW-CC ----- 0.08 ppm
PB 0.18 ppm -----
MDF 0.21 ppm -----
Thin MDF 0.21 ppm -----
Approved Phase 1 Standards*Approved Phase 1 Standards*Approved Phase 1 Standards*
* Based on ASTM E1333-96* Based on ASTM E1333* Based on ASTM E1333--9696
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• Sets industry cap to level similar to E1
• Over 50% of CWP manufacturers need to lower emissions
• Curtails low-cost, high-emitting imported products
• Establishes enforcement program
Rationale for Phase 1 StandardsRationale for Phase 1 StandardsRationale for Phase 1 Standards
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Product Jan 1, 2010
Jan 1, 2011
Jan 1, 2012
Jul 1, 2012
HWPW-VC 0.05 ppm ----- -----
HWPW-CC ----- ----- 0.05 ppm
PB 0.09 ppm ----- -----
MDF 0.11 ppm ----- -----
Thin MDF ----- 0.13 ppm -----
Approved Phase 2 Standards*Approved Phase 2 Standards*
* Based on ASTM E1333-96* Based on ASTM E1333-96
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• Defines Best Available Control Technologies (BACT)
- Technology forcing
• Technologically feasible• Reasonable cost
Rationale for Phase 2 StandardsRationale for Phase 2 Standards
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0 0.01 0.02 0.03 0.04 0.05 0.06 0.07 0.08
Low Formaldehyde Resin TechnologyLow Formaldehyde Resin Technology
PF
MDI
Purebond SoyMF
MF-MUF blends
Tannins
UMF/Catcher Resin
Formaldehyde Emissions (ppm)
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Tradename CompanyCompwoodProducts
ResinSystem
ArreisArreisMediteMedite IIIIMedexMedex
Sierra PineSierra Pine MDFMDF MDIMDI
SoyadSoyadresin systemresin system
Heartland Heartland Resource Resource
TechnologiesTechnologiesHWPWHWPW Soy + PFSoy + PF
PurebondPurebond Columbia Forest Columbia Forest ProductsProducts HWPW, PBHWPW, PB SoySoy--basedbased
SkyblendSkyblend RoseburgRoseburg PBPB PFPFVestaVesta FlakeboardFlakeboard PBPB NAFNAF
EcoBindEcoBindresin systemresin system HexionHexion HWPW, PB, HWPW, PB,
MDFMDFMUF/coMUF/co--react, PF, react, PF,
soy/PVA blendsoy/PVA blend
KenocatchKenocatchresin systemresin system AkzoAkzo NobelNobel MDF, PBMDF, PB MUF + catcherMUF + catcher
Products Currently Available to Products Currently Available to Meet Phase 2 StandardsMeet Phase 2 Standards
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Emerging Resin TechnologyEmerging Resin Technology
• MDI Hybrids, Tannin-based resins, polyurethane, other soy blends (NAFs)
• Ultra low emmiting formaldehyde resins(ULEFs)-scavengers and blends
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CostsCosts
Product Phase 1 Phase 2HWPW < $0.20 $4 to 6
PB < $1 $3 to $4
MDF < $1 $4 to $6
• Industry-wide Cost (Annual)$19 million (P1)$127 million (P2)
• Incremental Production Cost (Per panel)
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Benefits of the ATCMBenefits of the ATCM
• Effective pollution prevention• Reduces formaldehyde emissions by
180 tons/year (Phase 1) to 500 tons/year (Phase 2)
• Reduces overall exposure by 15% (Phase 1) to 40% (Phase 2)
• Achieves reductions in indoor settings where people spend most time
• Reduces lifetime cancer cases by 12-35 (Phase 1) to 35-97 (Phase 2)
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Closing CommentsClosing Comments
• Growing market for low-polluting building materials
• Cost effective, viable low-emitting products are now in the market
• Future resin technology will add new commercial products with performance comparable to no-added formaldehyde products (NAFs)
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For More InformationFor More Information
Visit our website:http://www.arb.ca.gov/toxics/compwood/compwood.htm
Or, contact us:Angela Csondes, Air Pollution SpecialistSubstance Evaluation Section (916) [email protected]