This page last revised October 7, 2008

Formaldehyde is produced on a large scale worldwide.  One major use includes the production of wood binding adhesives and resins.  The ARB evaluated formaldehyde exposure in California and found that one of the major sources of exposure is from inhalation of formaldehyde emitted from composite wood products containing urea-formaldehyde resins.  The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) reclassified formaldehyde from “probably carcinogenic to humans” to “carcinogenic to humans” in 2004, based on the increased risk of nasopharyngeal cancer.  Formaldehyde was also designated as a toxic air contaminant (TAC) in California in 1992 with no safe level of exposure.  State law requires ARB to take action to reduce human exposure to all TACs.

Staff of the Air Resources Board (ARB) conducted a formal rulemaking process to address formaldehyde exposure from composite wood products.  On April 26, 2007, ARB approved an airborne toxic control measure (ATCM) to reduce formaldehyde emissions from composite wood products including hardwood plywood, particleboard, medium density fiberboard, thin medium density fiberboard (thickness ≤ 8mm), and also furniture and other finished products made with composite wood products. 

The ATCM to control formaldehyde emissions from composite wood products was approved on April 18, 2008 by the Office of Administrative Law.  The regulation has been filed with the Secretary of State to be codified into Title 17 of the California Code of Regulations, and is immediately effective.  The first emission standards will be implemented on January 1, 2009.  The final regulation text is now available.

 

UPDATES 

Recent Activity
Description	Location	Date
List of  TPC Approved Mills Now Available		October 7, 2008
Indonesian Translation of ATCM now Available		September 16, 2008
NAF / ULEF Application		August 29, 2008
Enforcement Sell Through Advisory		August 15, 2008
June 23 Fabricator Webinar Recording		July 11, 2008
New Approved Alternate Small Scale Quality Control Method for Use by Manufacturers		June 30, 2008
(Português) Portugese Version of the ATCM		June 18, 2008
(на русском языке) Russian Version of the ATCM		June 18, 2008
(中文 ) Chinese Version of the ATCM		June 11, 2008

-Board Presentation - April 26, 2007

For more information, please contact Mr. Brent Takemoto at (916) 327-5615, or Mr Lynn Baker at (916) 324-6997.