Recently, the Committee on Energy and Commerce ofAmerica amended and passed the Act "Formaldehyde Standards for Composite Wood Products Act" (H.R.4805). The Act will be entered into force on Jan.1, 2011 after signed by the president. The Act is on the basis of the recent California Act CARB with an aim to set up a formaldehyde release standard for the supply, sales and manufacturing of composite wood products in America. The standards are as follows:
●For hardwood plywood with a veneer core: 0.05 ppm of formaldehyde.
●For hardwood plywood with a composite core: 0.08 ppm of formaldehyde for any period after the effective date from Jan.3, 2011 to June 30, 2012; 0.05 ppm of formaldehyde, effective from July1, 2012.
●For medium-density fiberboard: 0.21 ppm of formaldehyde for any period after the effective date from Jan.3, 2011 to June 30, 2012; and 0.11 ppm of formaldehyde, effective from July1, 2011.
●For thin medium-density fiberboard: 0.21 ppm of formaldehyde for any period after the effective date from Jan.3, 2011 to June 30, 2011; 0.13 ppm of formaldehyde, effective from July1, 2012.
●For particleboard: 0.18 ppm of formaldehyde for any period after the effective date from Jan. 3, 2011 to June 30, 2011; 0.09 ppm of formaldehyde, effective on the later of the effective from July1, 2011.
The above mentioned products should be pursuant to the test method ASTM E-1333-96 (2002) or ASTM D-6007-02, and the inner quality control should be in accordance with ASTM D-6007-02、ASTM D-5582 or other methods.
EPA should issue regulations to ensure the product according with the emissions standard of formaldehyde mentioned above before Jan.1, 2013, and amend import regulations before July 1, 2013 to ensure the import product complying with the standard.