Isra-Mart srl:Researchers develop wood that eats its own pollution

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Researchers in Germany have developed a way to reduce unhealthy emissions from particleboard, which could make it a more suitable material for makeshift dwellings.

Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Wood Research have found a way to infuse particleboard with a chemical that "eats" emissions of formaldehyde, a chemical linked to health problems.

Formaldehyde is commonly used as a component in adhesives used to glue particleboard together. The chemical, which is believed to be potentially carcinogenic when exposed to people over long periods, can also cause vision and respiratory problems, making it a potential health threat when particleboard is used in construction.

The researchers used modified zeolites, an absorbent molecule commonly used in everything from laundry detergent to water purification and nuclear materials reprocessing. The zeolites have a large internal surface area that can be used to capture formaldehyde particles, preventing them "offgassing", or escaping into the atmosphere.

Zeolites are clay-based, but the researchers found that naturally occurring versions did not trap enough formaldehyde. Instead, the team manufactured its own. Tests saw a 40 per cent reduction in formaldehyde levels, the researchers said.

Formaldehyde poisoning was a significant problem for the US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) during the Hurricane Katrina and Rita crises. At least one person died after complaining of formaldehyde fumes in a trailer in which they were housed, after evidence emerged of formaldehyde levels 75 times above the acceptable limit.

The US government has already passed the Formaldehyde Standards for Composite Wood Standards Act, which amends the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to establish formaldehyde emission standards for various wood types. The standards laid out by the act come into effect at the start of 2013.