EUROPEAN CONCERTED ACTION

INDOOR AIR QUALITY & ITS I PACT ON MAN

COST Project 613

Environment a n d Quality of Life

Report No. 7
Indoor Air Pollution by Formaldehyde
in European Countries

prepared by the

Community-COST Concertation Committee

Commission of the European Communities

Directorate General for Science, Research and Development
Joint Research Centre - Environmeni institute

EUR 13216 EN
Published by the
COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
Directorate-General
information Market and Innovation
Batiment Jean Monnet
LUXEMBOURG

LEGAL NOTICE

Neither the Commission of the European Communities nor any person

acting on behalf of the Commission is responsible for the use which might
be made of the following information.

Cataloguing data can be found at the end of this publication.

In this series the following reports have already been published.

Report No. 1: Radon in indoor air.

Report No. 2: Formaldehydeemissions from wood based materials: guideline
for the establishment of steady state concentrations in test chambers.
Report No. 3: Indoor Pollution by NO, in European countries.
Report No. 4: Sick building syndrome - a pratical guide.
Report No. 5: Project inventory.
Report No. 6: Strategy for sampling chemical substances in indoor air.

Luxembourg: Office for Publications of the European Communities, 1990

O ECSC - EEC - EAEC, Brussels - Luxembourg, 1990

Printedin Italy
 CONTENTS

Introduction .....................................................................................................................

Health Effects ...................................................................................................................

Indoor Air Quality Guidelines .........................................................................................

Sources ......................... .
...
..........................................................................................
Concentrations and Exposures ....................................................................................
5.1 Denmark ........................................ . ......................................................
5.2 Federal Republic of Germany ................................................................................
5.3 France .......................................................................................................................
5.4 Greece ......................................................................................................................
5.5 The Netherlands ......................................................................................................
..................................................................................................
5.6 Norway ....................
5.7 Sweden ....................................................................................................................
5.8 Switzerland ...............................................................................................................
5.9 United Kingdom ........................................................................................................

Prevention ........................................................................................................................

National and Community Policies ...............................................................................

. . . . 7.1
. Denmark
. . . ...............................
. . . . . . . ..................
7.2 Federal Republic of Germany ................................................................................
7.3 France .......................................................................................................................
7.4 The Netherlands .......................................................................................................
7.5 Norway ......................................................................................................................
7.6 Sweden ....................................................................................................................
7.7 Switzerland ................................................................................................................
7.8 United Kingdom ........................................................................................................
7.9 European Community ...........................................................................................
Discussion and conclusions ............................................................................................

References .......................................................................................................................

10. Members of the Community-COST Concertation Committee .................................. 22

1. INTRODUCTION

Formaldehyde (HCHO) is the simplest and most common aldehyde. At normal ambient
temperatures it is a colourless gas with a pungent odour. It boils at - 21 OC and melts at - 92OC.
Formaldehyde occurs naturally and is an important industrial chemical. In the indoor environment it
is introduced mostly as urea-formaldehyde resin and as a component of tobacco smoke. Indoor air
pollution by formaldehyde is at the origin of today's scientific interest in the indoor air quality issue.

This summary report is part of the activity of COST project 613 "Indoor Air Quality and its Impact on
Man". COST project 613 results from the association of several Non-member countries to a
concerted action of the European Communities (EC) in the frame of the COST (=Co-operation
europeenne dans le domaine de la recherche Scientifique et Technique) agreement. In this report,
the Community-COST Concertation Committee (CCCC) has reviewed the present knowledge about
formaldehyde as an air pollutant in the non-industrial indoor environment.

The summary aims at collating information made available by national delegates on differences and
similarities with respect to sources of and exposures to formaldehyde, as well as to national
preventive policies in the European countries participating in COST project 613. Emphasis has been
put on the exposure situation and on policies developed to improve this situation. This report does
not deal with occupational exposures or with mitigation of air quality problems in existing buildings.

In this report, formaldehyde concentrations in air are reported preferably as weight per volume
(mg/m3 or pg/m3; 1 mg/m3 = 1,000 pg/m3). Occasionally, concentrations are also reported in terms
of volume per volume (ppm, 1ppm = 1.2 mg/m3).

2. HEALTH EFFECTS

The health effects of formaldehyde have been evaluated by several working groups and panels
(1-9). The main acute effects, which have been reported after exposure to gaseous formaldehyde
are odour perception and irritation of the eyes, nose and throat. In addition, depending on the
concentration, discomfort, lacrimation, sneezing, coughing, nausea and dyspnea have been
observed. Generally, symptoms are subject to adaptation.

There is no definite proof that normally occurring formaldehyde concentrations in the air cause
respiratory tract sensitization, though aqueous formaldehyde solutions can induce skin sensitization.

Formaldehyde is mutagenic in a multitude of in vitro test systems; however, clear mutagenic effects
could not be demonstrated in intact organisms.

There is sufficient evidence of the carcinogenicity of formaldehyde in experimental animals; the

evidence of carcinogenicity in humans is inadequate (7). Formaldehyde was classified in Group 2 6
by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (5). A recent international ad-hoc panel on
health effects of formaldehyde concluded that "if a relationship does exist, the excess risk, in
absolute terms, must be small" (6).

In 1985, a working group convened by the World Health Organization (WHO) reviewed the literature
on the relation between formaldehyde exposure and health effects (7). Based on this work WHO
published an air quality guideline for formaldehyde (10). The following conclusions are quoted from
this publication.
"HEALTH RISK EVALUATION

Available clinical and epidemiological data indicate that substantial variations in individual
responses to formaldehyde exist. Table 1 lists the ranges of the effects of short-term exposure to
formaldehyde.

Table 1. Effects of formaldehyde in humans after short-term exposure

Formaldehyde concentration
(in mglm3)
Effect
Estimated Reported
median range

Odour detection threshold (including repeated exposure) 0.1 0.06- 1.2

Eye irritation threshold 0.5 0.01-1.9

Throat irritation threshold 0.6 0.1-3.1
Biting sensation in nose, eye 3.1 2.5-3.7
Tolerable for 30 minutes (lachrymation) 5.6 5-6.2
Strong lachrymation, lasting for 1 hour 17.8 12-25
Danger to life, oedema, inflammation, pneumonia 37.5 37-60
Death 125 60- 125

The threshold of irritation is reported to be as low as 0.1 mglm3, but significant increases in
symptoms of irritation occur at levels between 0.3 and 1.0 m g l m V n healthy subjects. At
concentrations above 1.2 mglm3 a progression of symptoms and effects occurs.

Estimating the human carcinogenic risk from formaldehyde on the basis of animal data rs a matter
of great uncertainty, since the dose-response curve is nonlinear at the higher exposure levels and
the situation is even more complex if such nonlinearity continues throughout the entire dose-
response curve.

The nonlinear relationship between administered and delivered formaldehyde doses has a
substantial impact on quantitative estimates of risk associated with low-level exposures. This was
illustrated by comparing estimates of risk obtained using administered dose (airborne formaldehyde
concentration) as the measure of exposure with corresponding estimates obtained using delivered
dose (the concentration of covalently bound formaldehyde in target tissue DNA). The risk estimates
based on delivered dose were approximately 53 times smaller when expressed as the maximum
likelihood estimates (Table 2).
a

In spite of the relatively large amount of information gathered on formaldehyde in terms of its
genotoxicity, pharmacokinetics and carcinogenicity, differences in assumption can lead to risk
estimate differences running into orders of magnitude. Therefore, no risk estimate calculation is
indicated because available animal data do not allow a reasonable use of existing models".
Table 2*) Multistage model estimates of risk of squamous-cell carcinoma in rats, based on
administered dose and delivered dose at selected airborne formaldehyde
concentrations

Airborne Maximum Upper

concentration Dose likelihood 95%contidence
(PP~) measure risk estimate limit

Administered
Delivered

Administered 314 x 10-7

Delivered 5.9 x 10-7

0.1 Administered 251 x 10-9 15.6 x 10-5

Delivered 4.7 x 10-9 6.2 x 10-5

*) Table 3 in the original WHO text (10)

3. INDOOR AIR QUALITY GUIDELINES

Guideline or threshold values indicate concentrations at or below which, for given exposure
durations, a specified population is protected from unacceptable direct or indirect adverse health
effects. Guidelines are intended to provide background information and guidance to governments,
administrations or the public in making risk management decisions or in setting standards.

Guideline values for formaldehyde established or discussed in European countries are summarized
in Table 3.

Table 3. Guideline values for formaldehyde established or discussed in European countries and
in the U S A (as available by February 1990)

Country
I Level
img/m31 / Remarks
Denmark 0.15 guideline value for the general population based on irritation

Federal Republic
of Germany I 0.1 I guideline value for the general population based on irritation

0.15 guideline value for buildings constructed after 1981

Finland
0.30 guideline value for older buildings

France no general guideline value or standard

Italy 0.12 tentative guideline value

Table 3. (continued) Guideline values established or discussed in European countries and in the
U.S.A (as available by February 1990)

I Country
/ Level
Img/m3i / Remarks

I The Netherlands
standard value, general population and sensitised subjects;
irritation & carcinogenicity

Norway 0.06 Recommended guideline value, not yet adopted

Spain 0.48 only for the initial period after installation of UF-foam

0.13 guideline value, wood based panels, 50% rel. humidity

Sweden
0.2 guideline value, remedial action level

Switzerland 0.24 guideline value

United Kingdom no general guideline values or standards

WHO (1987) < 0.1 30 min average guideline value, general population (10)
I I

USA 0.486 Federal target ambient level

4. SOURCES

Formaldehyde is present in outdoor air due to photooxidation of the abundant naturally occurring
constituent metha~eand of other natural and anthropogenic organic compounds and as a metabolic
product from plants. Further anthropogenic contributions to formaldehyde levels in ambient air
include automobile exhaust, combustion processes and industrial activities such as the production of
resins.

Formaldehyde in the non-industrial indoor environment originates, however, only to a limited extent
from outdoor air. Rather, it is released directly into indoor air from various types of sources.
Formaldehyde is a constituent of tobacco smoke and of combustion gases from heating stoves and
gas appliances. It is used as an additive to water-based paints, as a disinfectant and as a
preservative in biological laboratories and in mortuaries. It is also used in the fabric and clothing
industry. The bulk of the industrially produced formaldehyde is, however, used for resins and as
such also introduced in the indoor environment. The resins are contained in various products, in
particular in wood products of which particleboard is the most important. It is an essential feature of
these sources that the emission of formaldehyde depends strongly on air temperature and humidity. 9
A detailed description of formaldehyde and its industrial production is found in reference (4). Data
on the industrial production of formaldehyde in Western Europe during the years 1985 and 1987 are
summarized in Table 4. To give an indication of the possible development of the formaldehyde
production, Table 4 includes also data on the production capacity in 1987 and 1990 and a
projection for 1995. These data suggest a rather stable level of production.

Table 4. Production, actual and projected production capacity of formaldehyde (37 %) in

European Countries in 1000 tonslyear (courtesy BASF AG, 1989)

Table 5 reports the amounts of particleboard produced, exported and imported in European
countries during 1987 and the consumption calculated from these data. The total production of
various wood based panel types in Western Europe in 1983 and in 1987 is given in Table 6.

Except for smoking, sources such as particleboard, furniture, urea formaldehyde (UF) lacquers and
UF foam used for insulation may completely dominate the emission from other indoor sources, such
as textiles, adhesives or cosmetics.
Table 5. Production, export, import and apparent consumption of particleboard in European
countries during 1987 [in 1000 m3],
(adapted from FESYP Annual Report 198711988 ")

Belgium 1 875 1 003 134 1 006

Denmark 292 34 234 492
Finland 610 224 4 390
France 1 838 303 671 2 206
FR Germany 6 000 1 106 1 114 6 008
Greece 270 " 16 22 276
I I

1
1 I
n n
Ireland 20 44
Italy
Netherlands
Norway
Portugal
Spain

I
I I I I

Sweden 844 188 115 1 771

Switzerland 541 243 120 418
United Kingdom 1 098 41 1 716 2 473
e estimate
*
source: Eurostat (Statistical Office of the European Communities)
" not available
" European Federation of Associations of Particleboard Manufacturers, Giessen, 1988

Table 6. Production of wood based panels by product type in Western Europe (same
countries as in Table 5)
(adapted from FESYP Annual Report 198711988 *)

* European Federation of Associations of Particleboard Manufacturers, Giessen, I988

 5. CONCENTRATIONS AND EXPOSURES

The natural background concentration of formaldehyde in outdoor air is of the order of 1 pgIm3. In
urban air the annual average concentration is about 5-10 Mg/m3. Short term peak concentrations,
about an order of magnitude higher, may occur in particular situations such as during peak traffic
times or periods of smog. Higher concentrations can also be found in the vicinity of industrial
processes.

The observed concentrations of formaldehyde in non-industrial indoor environments are generally

below the levels known to cause health or comfort effects to the general population (excluding the
hypersusceptible part). The exposure is caused by emissions from several sources, of which
products containing urea-formaldehyde resins are the most common. Exposure caused by active or
passive smoking may be comparable to the exposures caused by emissions from building materials.
-. Measurements in several European countries (see below) show a tendency for indoor formaldehyde
concentrations to be higher during summer than during winter, i.e. when temperature and humidity
tend to be higher. This tendency supports the finding that urea-formaldehyde resins are a major
indoor source of formaldehyde.

In some cases, elevated concentrations of formaldehyde are observed. These high concentrations
can in most cases be explained by deficient products (e.g. due to irregular production), erratic or
inadequate uses of materials or accidental flooding or wetting of materials containing urea-
formaldehyde resins like insulation materials and carpet glues. Such materials will normally have to
be removed from a building to decrease the exposure.

The average exposure of humans to formaldehyde is the result of contributions from various
atmospheric compartments and from ingestion. In a recent WHO publication (10) the contribution of

Table 7. Contribution of various atmospheric compartments to average exposure to

formaldehyde "; adapted from WHO (10)

estimated concentration daily intakeC

Source
[mg/m31
Air

Ambient air (10°% of time)

Indoor air
Home (65% of time)
- conventional
- prefabricated (chipboard)
Workplace (25% of time)
- without occupational exposure
- with 1 mg/m3 occupational exposure
Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS)

Smoking (20 cigaretteslday)

b Assuming the normal formaldehyde concentration in conventional buildings

c Assuming a respiratory volume of 20 m3/day
ingestion has been estimated to amount to about 1-14 mglday, most of it in a bound and
unavailable form (7). Estimated average contributions of various atmospheric compartments to the
total intake of formaldehyde are summarized in Table 7 which has been adapted from (10).

During the past 10 -15 years in several countries (see below) decreasing indoor concentrations of
formaldehyde have been observed as a result of decreasing emission from materials used indoors.
A competing factor is, however, the tendency to tighten building envelopes in order to save energy
or improve insulation against external noise thereby reducing the ventilation rate. The dependency
of the indoor concentration level on both the emission rate of the sources and the ventilation rate
makes it difficult to predict the effect of any measure to reduce the concentration levels acting on
emission rates alone (see p. 18).

In the following, indoor concentrations of formaldehyde measured in various European countries are
reported.

5.1 Denmark

In three small scale scientific investigations (1 1-13) performed between 1975 and 1982
formaldehyde concentrations ranging from 0.072 to 2.24 mg/m3 (25 rooms of 23 homes contaming
particleboard) and average concentrations of 0.64 mg/m3 (7 houses containing particleboard) and
0.43 mg/m3 (range 0.24 to 0.55 mg/m3, in seven mobile day care centers) have been detected. In a
larger survey of more recently (post 1982) constructed dwellings (14) substantially lower
formaldehyde concentrations have been detected (see Table 8). However, all these dwellings had
mechanical exhaust ventilation systems.

Table 8. Formaldehyde concentrations detected in newer danish dwelhngs

with mechanical ventilation

5.2 Federal Republic of Germany

In the Federal Republic of Germany, many formaldehyde measurements have been carried out
since 1977 when the guideline value of 0.12 mg/m3 (0.1 ppm) was introduced. However, many of
these measurements have been made by local institutions and the data have usually not been
compiled and published. The Institute for Water, Soil and Air Hygiene of the Federal Health Office
undertook to analyse formaldehyde in a larger number of indoor environments in the Federal
Republic of Germany using passive samplers (15). Three programmes with different goals were
carried out between 1984 and 1986.

In Programme I and II, measurements were made following complaints of dwellers, whereas homes
of persons chosen at random were included in Programme Ill. Samples were taken under normal
living conditions without recording the temperature and the relative humidity. The homes visited in
Programmes I and II were located in Berlin and in the remainder of the Federal Republic of
Germany, respectively. Programme Ill included homes in every parts of the country. In all
programmes, samples were taken as duplicates using passive samplers and formaldehyde was
analysed using the pararosaniline method. Table 9 gives an overview of the number of distributed
samplers and their fate. In some cases, the two samplers had not been placed side-by-side as
requested; these samplers are characterised as "singles" in the table.

Table 9. Overview of three larger measuring programmes to determine formaldehyde in

indoor environments in the Federal Republic of Germany

Programme .

I II 111

Distributed samplers 188 1388 740

Lost samplers 8 80
Unused samplers 2
Samplers as duplicates 154 1158 656
Samplers as "singles" 34 147 4

Table 10 gives a summary of the results of the three programmes. As can be seen, the guideline
value of 0.12 mg/m3 (0.1 ppm) is generally respected, with averages being around 0.06 mg/m3
(0.05 ppm). In the complaint cases (Programmes I and 11), the number of homes exhibiting a
concentration level higher than the guideline value was about 8%, whereas in the randomised study
(Programme Ill), exceeding values accounted for only 2%. In all programmes, the 50 percentile was
lower than 50 pg/m3.

Table 10. Results of formaldehyde measuring programmes in the Federal Republic of

Germany (for details see Table 9); all concentrations in pg/m3

Programme
I I1 Ill

Arithmetic mean of concentrations 60 63 56

Standard deviation + 43 + 68 + 28
Minimum concentration n.d. n.d. n.d.
Maximum concentration 229 1240 279
Fraction of values [%] exceeding 120 pg/m3 8 8 2

n.d. = not detected (<30 pg/m3)

Since the passive samplers Were exposed over periods of 48 hours, the results in Table 10 are
averages over this period of time. Short-term sampling in the same homes, e.g. over periods of 30
minutes, may have led to higher (or lower) concentrations than those reported here. It should also
be mentioned that results obtained by a passive sampling procedure are generally less reproducible
than those of active sampling procedures. For the samplers used in the studies described above,
the relative standard deviation under field conditions, as calculated from the duplicates, was of the
order of 20 to 30 %, at concentration levels between 50 and 100 pg/m3.
5.3 France

No representative survey of formaldehyde concentrations has been carried out in French homes or
other indoor spaces. Existing data result either from small scale surveys or from measurements
following complaints on inadequate indoor air quality.

Small scale surveys have been performed in the class room of a nursery school and a university
lecture hall in Marseille and in 9 dwellings (5 appartments and 4 detached houses) in and around
Paris. In all cases measurements were performed during and outside the heating season. Results
are summarized in Table 11. The table shows that mean concentrations are below 30 pg/m3.

Table 11. Formaldehyde concentrations measured in various indoor environments in France

Number of values
Measurement sites

Maximum values did not exceed 70 pg/m3. Simultaneously measured outdoor values ranged
between 5 and 27 pg/m3 and were always lower than the indoor values with the exception of the
lecture hall, which was near to a parking area and a road with heavy traffic.

Thirteen investigations have been carried out between 1984 and 1989 at the request of people
complaining about bad indoor air quality in homes or collective sites. In six detached houses only
values up to 90 pg/m3 have been measured (average 60 pg/m3), whereas in 4 apartments and at
three collective sites concentrations up to 2800 pg/m3 (average 600 pg/m3) and up to 3000 pg/m3
respectively have been detected. The high concentrations of formaldehyde at the collective sites
were due to urea formaldehyde foam insulation (UFFI), while those at the other sites resulted from
shelves made of particleboard or from glues for wall coverings.

Some further investigations in office buildings carried out in Lyon and Paris showed average
concentrations of the order of 50 pg/m3 with a maximum concentration of 200 pg/m3.

5.4 Greece

On behalf of the Ministry of Health a survey of formaldehyde concentrations was carried out in 12
new (age< 1 year) and 31 old houses (age 1-20 years) and in 7 schools, all situated in Thessaloniki.
In all cases 30 minute samples were taken and analysed using the chromotropic acid technique.
The measurements yielded very low concentrations of formaldehyde, all within the range of outdoor
concentrations: the highest detected concentration was 22 pg/m3 and mean values for various
groups of houses ranged between 6.2 and 9 pg/m3. No significant difference was found between the
formaldehyde concentrations detected in the above mentioned new and old houses.
5.5 The Netherlands

In the Netherlands many formaldehyde measurements have been carried out, but most of them
have been made by local institutions and the data have usually not been compiled and published.

For the period between November 1978 and January 1981, the Dutch Health and Environment
Inspectorates have gathered all measurement data known to them. These measurements have
been carried out in homes and schools where there were complaints which might have been caused
by formaldehyde. Table 12 gives a summary of these data. As can be seen, on average, in about
50% of the cases where complaints occurred, the formaldehyde concentration was above
120 pg/m3. In schools, however, this percentage was markedly higher (66%) and concentrations up
to 2.5 mg/m3 have been measured. In homes the highest concentrations were between 0.75 and
1 mg/m3. In the cases where the formaldehyde concentration was far below 120 pgIm3 the
complaints have probably been caused by other factors.

Table 12. Measured concentrations of formaldehyde in homes and schools, where there were
complaints which might have been caused by high formaldehyde concentrations.

Number of Sampled Spaces

Formaldehyde
Concentrations
[pg/m31 Living
Rooms I Sleeping
Rooms I Attic
Rooms I Homes
(total) I Schools
I Total

Subtotal up to

Subtotal above

Total

5.6 Norway

No national survey or systematic measurements of the formaldehyde concentration in residential or

other non-industrial buildings has been performed in Norway. Usually in Norway, the highest
concentrations of formaldehyde are found in residential homes where particle-board is used. The
formaldehyde concentrations tend to be markedly lower now than 10 to 15 years ago. In a recent
investigation, formaldehyde concentrations in the air of 15 randomly chosen residences have been
measured. In each of them one sample was taken in winter and one in summer. The majority of the
samples contained less than 60 pg/m3. Only two samples from the summer period exceeded
60 pg/m3. The highest detected concentration was 110 pg/m3.
From measurements in residences where the inhabitants for some reason suspect high
formaldehyde levels, very seldom concentrations higher than 240 ~ g / m
are~ measured, whereas in
the majority of such cases concentrations are around 120 pg/m3.

5.7 Sweden

No national surveys of formaldehyde concentrations have been performed in residential buildings.

However, the formaldehyde levels tend to be lower than a decade ago as a result of the reduced
formaldehyde content in UF-bonded products.

5.8 Switzerland

Formaldehyde concentrations in indoor air above the guideline value of 0.24 mg/m3 issued by the
Swiss Federal Health Office (8)are still found in a number of residences, schools and offices.

The most important sources are particleboard and, with decreasing importance, UF foam insulation,
plywood and sealing-wax on parquet floor. Carpets and curtains are usually minor formaldehyde
emitters, even though the latter were in one case responsible for an increased level (0.8mglm3) in a
private residence (Rothweiler, unpublished results). Most particleboard on the market corresponds
to the 'CH-10'standard which is identical to the 'E 1' standard in the Federal Republic of Germany
(see Table 14, p. 15).

In several new buildings (8 single family houses, 38 apartments, 1 1 offices, 16 classrooms)

formaldehyde concentrations have been measured. During springtime, levels were between 0.24 -
0.84 mg/m3 and in summer levels increased by about 0.1 mg/m3. One year later levels were roughly
half as high as initially. The main identified sources consisted of particleboard (16).

In 43 houses insulated with UF foam formaldehyde concentrations ranged from 0.05 to 2.76 mglm3
(average 0.48 mg/m3, 9% of values > 1.2 mg/m3). Only 23% of the measured concentrations were
below 0.1 2 mg/m3 and 53% below the national guideline value of 0.24mg/m3(17).

5.9 United Kingdom

Results of three surveys of formaldehyde concentrations in homes and other buildings in the UK are
summarized in Table 13. In all studies comparison was made between homes with and without urea

Table 13. Mean indoor formaldehyde concentrations and standard deviations measured in
three surveys in the United Kingdom; adapted from reference (18)

Building sample Standard deviation

formaldehyde cavity wall insulation. While concentrations of formaldehyde were relatively high in the
few weeks following installation of the foam, the concentrations declined steadily and were
indistinguishable from those in homes without foam after a few weeks, as e.g. for the survey of
10 houses in Table 13, five of which with and five without UF foam insulation. However, in this
survey a tendency of summer levels to be higher than winter levels was observed but was not
statistically significant.

Apart from cases of newly installed UF foam wall insulation, the detected indoor concentrations
rarely exceeded 100 l ~ g l m
but
~ were always significantly higher than outdoor concentrations.

6. PREVENTIVE MEASURES

For the design of preventive measures aimed at limiting the health effects caused by the exposure
to formaldehyde in the indoor environment four basic facts have to be taken in consideration.
1. The emission depends on the specific source strength (emission rate per surface unit), the
physical size of the source respectively the emitting surface area and the environmental
conditions (e.g. temperature and humidity).
2. Air concentrations do not only vary with the emission rate, but also with the ventilation rate.
3. Human exposure depends on both the air concentration and the exposure time.
4. The human reaction depends on the exposure and the individual sensitivity.

Each of these relations may play a role in the reduction of the number of reacting persons and the
intensity of reactions to formaldehyde exposure. It is generally agreed that source control is the
most desirable way of reducing exposure. A working group of the World Health Organization (7)
concludes:

"In new buildings, the use of proper materials is the best way to prevent problems. The
administrative background for these control measures can be produced by regulations which can
take three shapes:
1. Air quality guidelines should provide a measure against which the quality of the air can be
measured.
2. Product and process standards can give maximum permitted values for the quantity of
formaldehyde released per unit surface area per unit time by the product.
3. Building regulations can deal with the use of formaldehyde releasing materials, such as
particleboard, foam insulat~on,paint and glue in the building industry. Also the ventilation
capacity and rates in buildings can be prescribed.

It is important to inform the public about sources of formaldehyde in indoor air and measures to
avoid or prevent exposure, espec~allyin homes or other buildings occupied by hypersensitive
persons. It is also important to note that the total formaldehyde exposure of an individual can be
reduced very effectively by limitation or cessation of tobacco smoking."

7. NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY POLICIES

Policies regarding the protection of the population from inappropriate indoor exposure to
formaldehyde have been developed in European countries to a very varied extent. However, existing
efforts to reduce indoor exposure to formaldehyde have all moved along the following lines.
 Guideline values have been established which in the majority of cases are between 0.12 and
0.15 mg/m3, with a few up to 0.48 mg/m3. A generally applicable legally enforceable standard
has not been issuedin any case. Also, no explicit information as to the boundary conditions of
guideline values has been given (e.g., room type, group of population concerned, temperature,
relative humidity, ventilation rate).
Existing regulations regard those sources which most often cause indoor concentrations to
exceed guideline values. These sources are all containing or based on urea-formaldehyde
resins. Reduction of formaldehyde concentrations was not the primary aim in regulations
concerning tobacco smoke.
No specific ventilation requirements have been defined to reduce population exposure to indoor
formaldehyde. Steady-state concentrations depend on the air exchange rate. Therefore,
ventilation is implicitly part of source regulations which specify maximum admissible emissions.
In fact, ventilation rates between 0.5 and 1.0 air exchanges per hour have been prescribed in
emission test procedures such as the one given in Report No.2 of this series (19). Therefore,
building regulations specifying lower minimum ventilation rates may lead to formaldehyde
concentrations exceeding the guideline value.

7.1 Denmark

The most important single source of formaldehyde in indoor air in Denmark is urea-formaldehyde
resin used for particleboard and for other building materials. The source strength of particleboard
has been regulated in the building code (20) and the use of formaldehyde containing materials has
been limited (21). A regulation for furniture was established by the Ministry of the Environment (22).
The regulation of particleboard specifies the amount of particleboard which can be used under
given environmental conditions (ventilation, humidity, temperature, etc.) according to a classification
of these boards with respect to their content of free formaldehyde and to additional surface
treatment (e.g. with formaldehyde retaining paint).

The guideline value for formaldehyde in the non-industrial indoor environment is 0.15 mg/m3 (23).
This guideline is intended to protect the general population (excluding the hypersusceptible) from
sensory irritation caused by formaldehyde. The limit value for occupational environments is 1 ppm
(1.2mg/m3) for old productions and 0,3 ppm (0.36 mg/m3) for new ones. From 1992 on all
productions will have to comply with 0.36 mg/m3 (24).

7.2 Federal Republic of Germany

In 1977, an ad-hoc commission convened by the Federal Health Office proposed a guideline value
of 0.1 ppm (25) based on toxicological knowlegde and scientific literature. As a consequence of this
proposal, a guideline was issued by the Committee on Harmonised Technical Prescriptions for
Construction in 1980 (Ausschuss fur Einheitliche Technische Baubestimmungen [ETB)) (26). In this
guideline, particleboard was classified into three categories according to its formaldehyde emission.
The Institute for Building Technology, an institution created by the Federal States (Lander), which
have the responsibility for building codes in the Federal Republic of Germany, recommended the
application of the guideline to the Lander. Table 14 defines the three classes of particleboard
established in the guideline.

Although the equilibrium concentration in a large test chamber as determined under the conditions
given in Table 15 was defined to be the reference, a more simple, derived test method, namely the
"perforator" method, layed down in the German standard DIN EN 120 (27), was developed to
permit a more practicable and rapid classification. In addition, the so-called "gas analysis" method
(28) was developed as specified in German standard DIN 52 368.

Table 14. Classification of particle board according to its formaldehyde emission

/ Class 1 Equilibrium concentration

in a 40 m3 test chamber
"Perforator value"
[mg HCH0/100 g dry material]

E1 I0.1 ppm I10

E2 > 0.1 -1.0 ppm > 10-30
E3 > 1.O -2.3 ppm >30-60

Table 15. Conditions for the reference method to test particle board for formaldehyde emissions
(1980)

I Size of test chamber II 4n

. - m3
... I
II Temperature
Relative humidity !
23 +1°C
45 2 3%
I
I Loading 1 1 m2/m3 I
I Air exchange I 1 h-I I

According to the ETB guideline (26), only particleboard of class E l was allowed to be used for
construction purposes, but it was not excluded to use E2 and E3 quality particleboard, provided it
had been given an appropriate coating to lower the formaldehyde emission to the E l level.

In 1985, a guideline was also issued with regard to the formaldehyde emission of urea-formaldehyde
foam insulation (UFFI) (29). In this guideline, three classes of UFFI were defined, as well as the
conditions under which the respective foam quality could be used. To guarantee a formaldehyde
concentration of or below 0.12 mg/m3(0.1 ppm) in the air of a room adjacent to a wall cavity foam
insulation, it was prescribed which materials had to be used to separate the foam from the
atmosphere of the room.

The classification of particleboard proved to be very useful as a tool for lowering formaldehyde
concentrations in indoor air. However, there were some shortcomings. Since only particleboard for
construction purposes had been regulated, low quality particleboard was increasingly used in the
manufacturing of other products not subject to regulation.

In October 1986, the Ordinance on Hazardous Substances (30) came into force under the
Chemicals Act (31). In this ordinance, a number of paragraps also addressed the question of
formaldehyde. At present, the ordinance is under revision, but the prescription concerning
formaldehyde emissions from wood-based materials will remain unchanged:

Coated and uncoated wood-based products (particleboard, blockboard, veneer plywood,

fiberboard) must not be circulated if they lead to an equilibrium concentration of formaldehyde of
more than 0.1 ppm (0.12 mg/m3). The equilibrium concentration is to be determined in a large
 test chamber using a test method which corresponds to the scientific and technical state-of-the-
art. For practical purposes, the use of derived methods, such as the perforator method (27) is
permitted. The specifications of such methods are to be published by the German Federal
Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM).

Furniture can only be circulated if the wood-based materials used for its construction meet the
above-mentioned specifications or the whole piece of furniture passes the chamber test
successfully, not giving rise to more than 0.12 mg/m3 (0.1 ppm) formaldehyde in the air.

7.3 France

Urea formaldehyde foam insulation (UFFI), as a source of elevated concentrations of formaldehyde

in the air of living spaces which are permanently or semi-permanently occupied, has been subject to
decree no 88683 of May 6, 1988. It offers a framework within which the formaldehyde concentration
in living spaces deriving from UFFl was limited to 0.2 ppm by volume (0.24 mg/m3) and sampling
and analytical methods were defined for the measurement of formaldehyde concentrations.

7.4 The Netherlands

There are regulations for particleboard and urea-formaldehyde (UF)-foam. For particleboard the limit
value is 100 mg formaldehyde per kg of particleboard and for UF-foam the limit value is 7,000 mg
formaldehyde per kg of dry UF-foam. At the same time, use more than 0.75 m2 particleboard per m3
of living space is not allowed.

There are standardised methods for the measurement of formaldehyde emissions and
concentrations.

7.5 Norway .

No national regulation of formaldehyde emissions and of the use of formaldehyde-emitting products

currently exists. Some factories have joined a voluntary particleboard control system. It requires that
the amount of free formaldehyde shall be lower than 30 mgI100 g of particleboard. A few factories
also produce particleboard meeting the requirement of the German E l standard (see Table 14).
A recently recommended indoor air quality guideline for formaldehyde of 0.06 mg/m3 will be
reflected in Norwegian regulation of formaldehyde emission which is scheduled to be issued in
1991.

7.6 Sweden

In 1989 a threshold limit value for formaldehyde in indoor air of 0,2 ppm was introduced as a
remedial action level.

From 1991 on, the emission of formaldehyde from wood-based panels is regulated by the National
Chemicals Inspectorate. The regulation says that emissions from chipboard, plywood, fibreboard,
blockboard and similar wood based panels containing formaldehyde based resins should not lead to
concentrations exceeding 0.13 mg/m3 according to Swedish Standard 27 02 36, based on testing in
a 1 m3 chamber.

Reported measurements of various UF-bonded products manufactured in Sweden (32) and a critical
review of the international literature of formaldehyde emissions from furniture (33) support these
regulations.
7.7 Switzerland

In March 1987, the Federal Health Office issued recommendations on how to determine
formaldehyde in indoor and workplace air and on measures to be taken in case the detected

-
concentrations exceed certain action levels. Action levels for indoor spaces and recommended
remedial measures are summarized in Table 16.

Table 16. Levels of concl m for indoor air concentrations of formaldehyde and recommended
remedial measl 'es

I Formaldehyde concentration Remedial measures

as a rule no measures are required

e remove mobile sources
@ as an immediate temporary measure increase ventilation of
the space
start measures with stationary sources (respect
proportionality)

spaces must not be used as sleeping, living or common rooms

(e.g. office or class room)

7.8 United Kingdom

The use of materials in buildings is controlled in the United Kingdom by Building Regulations, and
Regulation 7 requires controlled materials and components to be fit for purpose. One of the means
of showing compliance with this requirement is by observing an appropriate British Standard.

Woodbased panels are the subject of various British Standards in each of which the maximum level
of extractable formaldehyde is specified.

Urea formaldehyde foam cavity fill resin, the raw material supplied by the manufacturer, is required
to satisfy the requirements of BS 56-7 which specifies inter alia the maximum free formaldehyde
content and also gives tests for other properties of the made foam which might affect the evolution
of formaldehyde.

Building regulations also limit the walls which may be insulated, to reduce the ingress of
formaldehyde and water penetration, to those with bricks or block leaves; in addition the building
must be suitable in other respects, and the work carried out in accordance with the
recommendations of BS 5618 (British Standards Code of Practice for Thermal Insulation of Cavity
Walls [with masonary or concrete inner and outer leaves] by Filling with Urea-Formaldehyde [UF]
Foam Systems) by a person of assessed capability.

7.9 European Community

Building products are subject to the Council directive 891106 on the "approximation of laws,
regulations and administrative provisions of the Member States relating to construction products".
The directive requires that such products "must be suitable for construction works which (as a
whole and in their separate parts)......satisfy the...essential requirements". One of these
requirements regards "hygiene, health and environment" and specifies: "The construction work
must be designed and built in such a way that it will not be a threat to the hygiene or health of the
occupants or neighbours, in particular as a result of any of the following:
0 the giving off of toxic gas;
0 the presence of dangerous particles or gases in the air;
the emission of dangerous radiation."

Setting this basic rule, the directive cornmitts to "interpretative documents the creation of the
necessary links between the essential requirements" and standards, guidelines or other technical
specifications.

Limiting the emission of formaldehyde from wood-based materials is presently under consideration
as a first case to safegard the above mentioned essential requirement. For this scope CEN (Comite
Europeen de Normalisation), the organism recognized as the competent body for the adoption of
harmonized standards, has been charged to validate a method for the determination of
formaldehyde emissions from wood based panels. This method has been specified in a guideline
prepared by a Working Group of COST project 613 and published in this series (19). The guideline
recommends the test conditions given in Table 17 .

Table 17. Conditions for the reference method to test particle board for formaldeyde emission
(1989)

Size of test chamber 2 12 m3

Temperature 23 5 1 "C
Relative humidity 4555%
Air exchange 1 + 0.1 h-'
Air velocity 0.3 + 0.1 m/s
Loading factor 1 m2/ m3

8. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

In Europe, occupants of non-industrial spaces are exposed to formaldehyde emissions from several
sources of which products containing urea-formaldehyde resins are the most common. Active or
passive smoking is another important source. Generally the observed concentrations of
formaldehyde are below the levels known to cause health or comfort effects.

In some cases, however, concentrations of formaldehyde exceeding national guideline values are
observed. Elevated concentrations can often be explained by the simultaneous presence of several
sources or by such factors as deficient products (e.g. due to irregular production), inappropriate use
of materials, or accidental flooding or wetting of materials containing urea-formaldehyde resins.

The trend over the last 10 -15 years indicates a decreasing exposure to formaldehyde in non-
industrial spaces due to decreasing source strength of the materials used. A competing factor is,
however, the decreasing ventilation of buildings resulting from energy saving modifications or
improved insulation against traffic noise. The dependency of concentration levels both on the
emission strenght of the souices and the ventilation rate makes it difficult to predict future trends.
In conclusion, several problems remain to be solved:

There is no common guideline value for formaldehyde concentrations in indoor air in the
European countries; such a guideline value, however, would be most desirable, especially in
view of the establishment of closer (economic) connections among these countries.

Measures to reduce formaldehyde emissions and thereby indoor concentrations of formaldehyde

may not produce the desired effect if ventilation rates are independently decreased. Therefore
some link should be established between regulations concerning formaldehyde emissions1
concentrations and those establishing minimum ventilation rates.

The cumulative effect of emissions from various sources has not sufficiently been taken into
account since sources are being tested individually for compliance with the guideline value.

There may be sensitive people who complain at a concentration level of 0.12 mg/m3 (0.lppm) or
perhaps even below.

REFERENCES

Bundesminister fur Jugend, Familie und Gesundheit (BMJFG) (Hrsg.): Formaldehyd.

Gemeinsamer Bericht des Bundesgesundheitsamtes, der Bundesanstalt fur Arbeitsschutz und
des Umweltbundesamtes, Band 148, Schriftenreihe des BMJFG, Kohlhammer Verlag,
Stuttgart, 1984

Dutch Expert Committee for Occupational Standards: Health-based recommended

occupational exposure limits for formaldehyde. Directoraat-Generaal van de Arbeid van het
Ministerie van Sociale Zaken en Werkgelegenheid, Balen van Andelplein 2, 2273 KH
Voorburg, NL, May 1987

Hart, R.W., Terturro, A. and Neimeth, L. (eds.): Report on the Consensus Workshop on
Formaldehyde. Environ. Health Perspect. 58, 323-381, 1984

Gibson, J.E. (ed.): Formaldehyde Toxicity. Hemisphere Publishing Co., New York, 1983

International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC): IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of
the Carcinogenic Risk of Chemicals to Humans. Overall Evaluations of Carcinogenicity: An
updating of IARC monographs, Volumes 1 4 2 , Supplement 7. Lyon, France, 1987

Higginson, J., Jensen, O.M., Kinlen, L. et al. Epidemiology of chronic occupational exposure
to formaldehyde. Universities Associated for Research and Education in Pathology, Inc.:
Report of the Ad Hoc Panel on Health Aspects of Formaldehyde. Toxicol. Industr. Health 4,
77-90, 1988

World Health Organization (WHO): Indoor Air Quality: Radon and Formaldehyde.
Environmental Health Series 13, WHO Regional Office for Europe, Copenhagen, 1986

Bundesamt fur Gesundheitswesen (BAG; Swiss Federal Health Office): Formaldehyd in

Innenraumen. Bulletin des Bundesamtes fur Gesundheitswesen No. 12, 101-103, 1987

World Health Organization (WHO): Formaldehyd. Environmental Health Criteria series 89,
WHO, Geneva, 1989
World Health Organization (WHO): Air quality guidelines for Europe. WHO Regional
Publications, European Series No. 23, WHO Regional Office for Europe, Copenhagen, 1987

Andersen, I., Lundquist, G.R. and Mralhave, L. lndoor air pollution due to chipboard used as a
construction material. Atmos. Environ. 9, 1121-1 127, 1975

Andersen, I., Lundquist, G.R. and Mralhave, L. Formaldehyd i boligluft (in Danish with English
summary: Formaldehyde in the air of homes). Ugeskr. Laeger l4lIl4, 966-971, 1979

Olsen, J.H. and Drassing, M. Formaldehyde induces symptoms in day care centers. Am. Ind.
Hyg. ASSOC.J. 43, 366-370, 1982

Danish Building Research Institute (SBI): Undersragelse af formaldehydkoncentrationen i

nyere boliger. Report of the Department of lndoor Climate Technique, Hrarsholm, 1990

Prescher, K.-E. and Schondube, M.: Die Bestimmung von Formaldehyd in Innen- und
Auflenluft mit Passivsammlern. Gesundh.-lng. 104, 198-200, 1983

Wanner, H.U. and Kuhn, M. lndoor air pollution by building materials. Environ. Int. 12,
31 1-315, 1985

Rothweiler, H., Knutti, R. and Schlatter, Ch. Formaldehydbelastung von Wohnraumen durch
Harnstoff-Formaldehyd-lsolationssch%ume.Mitt. Gebiete Lebensm.-Hyg. 74, 38-49, 1983

Crump, D.R. and Gardiner, D. Sources and concentrations of aldehydes and ketones in
indoor environments in the U.K. Environ. Int. 15, 455-462, 1989

COST Project 613: "Formaldehyde emissions from wood based materials: guideline for the
establishment of steady state concentrations in test chambers".' Report No. 2. Prepared by
Working Group 3 on behalf of the Community-COST Concertation Committee. Commission of
the European Communities, Directorate-General for Science, Research and Development,
Joint Research Centre - lspra Establishment. EUR 12196 EN, 1989

The Danish Ministry of Housing: Tillaeg ti1 Bygningsreglement (in Danish: The Building Code).
Krabenhavn, 'Denmark, 1982

Miljrastyrelsen (Ministry of the Environment): Om begraensning af formaldehyd. (Regulation of

the use of urea-formaldehydecontaining materials). Krabenhavn, Denmark, 1984

Miljraministeriet (Ministry of the Environment): Bekendtgrarelse om begrzensning af

formaldehyd i sphplader, krydsfinerplader og lignende plader, som anvendes i mrabler,
invientar og lignende. Miljraministeriets bekendtgrarelse no. 289. Karbenhavn, Denmark, 1983

Arbejdstilsynet (Directorate for the Occupational Environment): Vejledning om ventilation

(ventilation guideline). At-meddelelse no. 1.01.8. Knrbenhavn, Denmark, 1985

Arbejdstilsynet (Directorate for the Occupational Environment): Graensev~rdierfor stoffer og

materialer (threshold limit values for compounds and materials). At-meddelelse no. 3.1.02.
Krabenhavn, Denmark, 1988

Bundesgesundheitsamt (BGA; German Federal Health Office): Kriterien fiir Formaldehyde in

lnnenluft (Criteria for formaldehyde in indoor air). Presse Mitteilung No. 19/77, Berlin, October
1977
AusschuO fur Einheitliche Technische Baubestimmungen (ETB) (Committee on Harmonised
Technical Prescriptions for Construction): Richtlinie uber die Verwendung von Spanplatten
hinsichtlich der Vermeidung unzumutbarer Formaldehydkonentrationen in der Raumluft
(Guideline on the use of particleboard with regard to the avoidance of unacceptable
formaldehyde concentrations in indoor air). Beuth Verlag, Berlin, April 1980

Deutsches lnstitut fur Normung (DIN): Spanplatten. Bestimmung des Formaldehydhehaltes.

Extraktionsverfahren genannt Perforatormethode (Particleboard. Determination fo the
formaldehyde content. Extraction procedure called perforator method). DIN EN 120, Beuth
Verlag, Berlin, 1984

Deutsches lnstitut fur Normung (DIN): Prufung von Spanplatten. Bestimmungen der
Formaldehydabgabe durch Gasanalyse (Testing of particleboard. Determination of the
formaldehyde off-gassing by gas analysis). DIN 52.368, Beuth Verlag, Berlin, September
1984

AusschuB fur Einheitliche Technische Baubestimmungen (ETB) (Committee on Harmonised

Technical Prescriptions for Construction): Richtlinie zur Begrenzung der Formaldehyd-
emission in die Raumluft bei Verwendung von Harnstoff-Formaldehydharz-Ortschaum
(Guideline to limit the formaldehyde emission into indoor air from urea-formaldehyde foam
insulation). Beuth Verlag, Berlin, April 1985

Verordnung uber gefahrliche Stoffe (Gefahrstoffverordnung-GefStoffV) vom 26.8.1986.

Bundesgesetzblatt 1, 1470-1487,1986

Gesetz zum Schutz vor gefahrlichen Stoffen (Chemikaliengesetz-ChemG; Chemicals Act) of

16.9.1980 as amended on 22.3.1 990. Bundesgesetzblatt 1, 521-547, 1990

Gustafsson, H., Formaldehyde till inomhusluft (in Swedish). National Testing Institute 1985:
29, Boris, Sweden, 1985

Gustafsson, H., Formaldehydavgivning frin mobler och inredning, en litteraturstudie (in

Swedish). National Chemicals lnspectorate No. 3, 1988, Sweden, 1988
10. MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY-COST CONCERTATION COMMITTEE

BELGIUM
IRELAND
Dr. Raf MERTENS
EHDAC Dr. James P. Mc LAUGHLlN
1.H.E - Epidemiology Unit Department of Physics
Brussels University College
Belfield
Dublin
DENMARK
Mr. Patrick A. WRIGHT
Prof. P. Ole FANGER EOLAS
Laboratoriet for Varme- og Klimateknik Glasnevin
Danmarks Tekniske Hojskole Dublin
L Y ~ ~ Y

Dr. Lars MQLHAVE (vice chairman) 1)

lnstitute of Environmental and ITALY
Occupational Medicine
Aarhus Universitet Prof. Marco MARONI
Aarhus lstituto di Medicina del Lavoro
Clinica del Lavoro " Luigi Devoto"
Universita di Milano
FRANCE Milano

Mr. Yvon LE MOULLEC Prof. Antonio REGGlANl

Laboratoire d'Hygiene lstituto Superiore di Sanita
de la Ville de Paris
Roma
Paris

Prof. Claude MOLINA

Hopital Sabourin THE NETHERLANDS
Clermont-Ferrand
Ir. Anton P.M. BLOM
Ministry of Housing, Physical Planning
GERMANY and Environment
Air Pollution Directorate
Dr. Bernd SEIFERT (chairman) 1) Leidschendam
Bundesgesundheitsamt
lnstitut fur Wasser-, Boden- und Lufthygiene Dr. Bert BRUNEKREEF
Berlin
Department of Environmental
and Tropical Health
GREECE Agricultural University
Wageningen
Prof. Panayotis SISKOS
Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry
University of Athens NORWAY
Athens
Dr. Jan HONGSLO
Dr. Athanasios VALAVANlDlS Department of Environmental Medicine
Laboratory of Organic Chemistry National lnstitute of Public Health
University of Athens Oslo
Athens

1) member of editorial committee for this report

PORTUGAL
UNITED KINGDOM
Eng. David A. BIZARRO LEANDRO
Dr. Linda SMITH
Direction-General for Hygiene and
Department of the Environment
Security at Work Romney House
Lisboa London

SWEDEN WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION

Prof. Dr. Thomas LINDVALL Dr. Michael J. SUESS

National lnstitute of Regional Officer for
Environmental Medicine Environmental Health Hazards
Stockholm Copenhagen

Dr. Bjorn LUNDGREN

Swedish National Testing lnstitute COMMISSION OF THE EC
BorAs
Dr. ~ e a n - ~B'ARTAIRE
;~
Prof. Birgitta BERGLUND DG XIlBl2
Department of Psychology Bruxelles
University of Stockholm
Stockholm Mr. Louis GRAVIGNY
DG llllCl3
Guimard Room 1118
SWITZERLAND Bruxelles

Mr. Heinz ROTHWEILER Dr. Maurizio DE BORTOLI (secretary)

lnstitut fur Toxikologie Environment lnstitute
der ETH u. Universitat ZZiich JRC, lspra Establishment
Schwerzenbach lspra (Varese)

Prof. Dr. H. U. WANNER Dr. Helmut KNOPPEL 1 )

lnstitut fur Hygiene und Environment lnstitute
Arbeitsphysiologie de ETH JRC, lspra Establishmen
Zurich lspra (Varese)

1) member of editorial committee for this report

European Communities - Commission

EUR 13216 - European concerted action

"Indoor Air Quality and Its Impact on Man"
COST Project 613:
Indoor Air Pollution by Formaldehyde in European Countries.

The Community-COST Concertation Committee

Luxembourg. Office for Official Publications of the European Communities

1990 - I-VI, 25 pp. - 21.0x29.7 cm

Series: Environment and quality of life

The report summarizes information on indoor pollution by formaldehyde (HCHO) in

European countries participating in the concerted action "Indoor Air Quality and Its
Impact on Man" (COST project 613). Major scope of the report is to give a concise
information to people involved in research planning, policy making and regulatory
activities and to identify a European view of the issue.
The summary includes a short review of health effects of formaldehyde, of existing air
quality guidelines and standards and of indoor sources of formaldehyde. For those
countries for which information has been made available occuring indoor concentrations
and national policies have been collated. Preventive measures are briefly discussed
unresolved problems are identified.