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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) 445-4448acsondes@arb.ca.gov