Composite Wood ATCM: Background
This page last reviewed December 4, 2007
What is the AB 1807 Toxic Air Contaminant Program?
In 1983, the California Legislature established a two-step process (AB
1807) of risk identification and risk management
to address the potential health effects from airborne toxic substances
and to reduce their risks. During
the first step, the Air Resources Board (ARB) and the Office of
Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA)
determine if a substance meets the definition of a toxic air
contaminant, and to what extent. If a substance
is determined to be a toxic air contaminant, the ARB begins the process
of risk management. In this step,
the ARB evaluates the need, feasibility, and cost of reducing emissions
of a particular substance.
When was formaldehyde identified as a toxic air contaminant?
Formaldehyde was identified as a toxic air contaminant by the ARB on
March 12, 1992, and the OEHHA determined that
no safe exposure threshold level exsisted for formaldehyde to preclude
cancer. The U.S. EPA has classified
formaldehyde as a "probable human carcinogen" under conditions of high
or prolonged exposure. The
International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) also concluded that
formaldehyde is a probable human carcinogen.
Why is ARB focusing on composite wood products?
During the identification of formaldehyde in 1992, the ARB evaluated
formaldehyde exposure in California and found
that one of the major sources of exposure is from inhalation of
formaldehyde emitted from formaldehyde resin containing
composite wood products. An estimated 2.5 billion square feet
of composite wood products (such as particleboard,
medium density fiberboard, hardwood plywood, and composite veneer) are
sold in California annually. While
the ARB recognizes that other formaldehyde emission sources exist (such
as vehicles, environmental tobacco smoke,
and stationary sources), emissions from composite wood products also
contribute to an individual's daily exposure
to formaldehyde.
For more information, please view our fact
sheet.
