ABSTRACT
Healthy occupancy is acknowledged that indoor pollution in buildings can make people unwell by creating a slightly toxic environment. Highly controlled environments that minimize air movement and convective forces can endanger health. International Conference on Indoor Air Quality and Climate in Stockholm, that emission rates of formaldehyde from particle boards in some new buildings, after only one year, have been found to exceed admissible limits. Formaldehyde vapour has for some time been confirmed as an irritant but, in the building industry, observations have been confined to the use of urea formaldehyde foam insulation in cavity walls. Uncoated panels could continually emit formaldehyde which would initially give symptoms of a sore throat, irritation to the eyes and feelings of general discomfort. People are able to detect concentrations of formaldehyde below lppm and there have been more cases of dermatitis and asthma in ultra-formaldehyde foam insulated houses in the USA.
