Source · material
Wood-based panels (particleboard, MDF, plywood)
Also: particleboard, MDF, chipboard, plywood
Boards made of wood particles or fibres glued with resin — the material of most furniture, kitchens and laminate floors. Urea-formaldehyde resins make them the dominant formaldehyde source in homes.
Why it matters indoors
Particleboard, medium-density fibreboard and plywood are bonded with resins that release formaldehyde as they slowly hydrolyse; emissions rise with temperature and humidity and continue for years. Emission classes (E1 in Europe, CARB Phase 2 / TSCA Title VI in the United States, the stricter E0.5 and E0 of some manufacturers) are measured in test chambers; exposed edges and cut surfaces emit most, so sealing them reduces release.
What the studies report
| Linked to | Effect | Population | Study design | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Formaldehyde (CH₂O) | emission-rate 0.0145 | — · laboratory (desiccator) | laboratory desiccator-method comparison (JIS A 1460 type) of formaldehyde emissions from six interior wood materials: medium-density fiberboard, melamine-faced board, pine, birch, oak and alder | F-0325 Negrete-Carrillo et al. Formaldehyde Emissions from Wood Materials and Their Impact … (2026) | machine |
| Formaldehyde (CH₂O) | emission-rate 0.0107 | — · laboratory (desiccator) | laboratory desiccator-method comparison (JIS A 1460 type) of formaldehyde emissions from six interior wood materials: medium-density fiberboard, melamine-faced board, pine, birch, oak and alder | F-0328 Negrete-Carrillo et al. Formaldehyde Emissions from Wood Materials and Their Impact … (2026) | machine |
| Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) | emission-rate 386 | — · test chamber | microchamber extraction and analytical pyrolysis of binderless boards made by compression cooking: area-specific emission rates of carbonyl compounds and total volatile organic compounds measured for the raw material and for each board | F-1191 Bertheau et al. Microchamber Extraction and Analytical Pyrolysis to Explore … | machine |
| Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) | emission-rate 336 | — · test chamber | microchamber extraction and analytical pyrolysis of binderless boards made by compression cooking: area-specific emission rates of carbonyl compounds and total volatile organic compounds measured for the raw material and for each board | F-1192 Bertheau et al. Microchamber Extraction and Analytical Pyrolysis to Explore … | machine |
| Total volatile organic compounds (TVOC) | emission-rate 837 | — · test chamber | microchamber extraction and analytical pyrolysis of binderless boards made by compression cooking: area-specific emission rates of carbonyl compounds and total volatile organic compounds measured for the raw material and for each board | F-1193 Bertheau et al. Microchamber Extraction and Analytical Pyrolysis to Explore … | machine |
| Formaldehyde (CH₂O) | mean 0.093 | — · home | chamber measurement combined with an indoor air model | F-0015 Negrete-Carrillo et al. Formaldehyde Emissions from Wood Materials and Their Impact … (2026) | machine |
| Formaldehyde (CH₂O) | limit 0.11 | — | chamber and room measurement of two laminate flooring products | F-0020 Pierce An assessment of formaldehyde emissions from laminate floori… (2016) | machine |
| Formaldehyde (CH₂O) | limit 0.062 | — | narrative review of production, emissions and regulation | F-0016 Gonçalves et al. Wood-Based Panels and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs): An … (2025) | machine |
| Formaldehyde (CH₂O) | limit 0.05 | — | narrative review of production, emissions and regulation | F-0017 Gonçalves et al. Wood-Based Panels and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs): An … (2025) | machine |
| Formaldehyde (CH₂O) | limit 0.050 | — | narrative review of production, emissions and regulation | F-0018 Gonçalves et al. Wood-Based Panels and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs): An … (2025) | machine |
| Formaldehyde (CH₂O) | limit 0.025 | — | narrative review of production, emissions and regulation | F-0019 Gonçalves et al. Wood-Based Panels and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs): An … (2025) | machine |
Each row is one Finding — a sentence as printed in one study, recorded with its page in the Coridum Knowledge Base. Follow the Finding number for the exact wording and the citation. Checked says who verified the row: machine means every automatic check passed and the surrounding text was read; person means someone read the sentence in the document. Rows are re-checked by a person over time. The studies are curated in the Coridum Knowledge Base; the reading of them together is a Claim, shown separately.
How strong is the evidence
-
Newly installed laminate flooring and wood-based panels may be associated with raised indoor formaldehyde.
A Claim is Coridum reading the Findings together, not a quotation from one study — according to Coridum. The grade follows the study designs behind it: A is the strongest, D means a single study or a mechanism.
In the literature
- Zhang et al. Faster Measurement for Formaldehyde Emissions from Veneered Particleboard Based on the Standardized Desiccator Method. doi:10.3390/f13101566 CKB 0276
- Gonçalves et al. Wood-Based Panels and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs): An Overview on Production, Emission Sources and Analysis (2025). Molecules. doi:10.3390/molecules30153195 CKB 1163
- Negrete-Carrillo et al. Formaldehyde Emissions from Wood Materials and Their Impact on Indoor Air Quality… (2026). doi:10.3390/su18147176 CKB 1036
Studies in the Coridum Knowledge Base in which this term is used. The definition follows standard usage in WHO, ISO and textbook sources; it is not quoted from these papers.
CKB = document number in the Coridum Knowledge Base, our curated library of peer-reviewed studies. Follow the DOI for the original paper.
Cite this page
Coridum Research. Wood-based panels (particleboard, MDF, plywood). Coridum Knowledge G-0063, 16 September 2026. https://coridum.com/k/G-0063/