Formaldehyde has garnered a lot of negative attentions from people for the past few years. Why is that so? Studies have shown that it is carcinogen, which means that it has been associated to increase risk of cancer in humans. On the other hand, it is also needed in order to produce various products that people use in a daily basis, such as home furnishings, paints, textiles, household cleaning products, landscape and yard products, medicinal and personal care products, pesticides and even in the adhesives in engineered and laminate floors. Therefore, it is recommended to reduce exposure to products that have formaldehyde.
In order to protect people from the harms that formaldehyde can cause to health, everyone is advised to choose products that bear the following helpful labels: ULEF (ultra-low emitting formaldehyde), NAF (no added formaldehyde), and CARB (California Air Resources Board) Phase 1 or 2. In this way, downstream customers are forewarned if a certain product doesn’t bear any of the mentioned labels.
The US Environment Protection Agency will be regulating the formaldehyde emission on composite woods in order to implement the Formaldehyde Standards for Composite Wood Products Act, or Title VI of the Toxic Substances Control Act. Based on their website, EPA expects to finalize the rules before the year ends. As of now, there are no nationwide formaldehyde emission standards in composite woods.
When it comes to flooring products, a product compliant to California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) stringent emission standards for formaldehyde emissions is an assurance that it is safe even for prolong usage. From a health standpoint, wood floors that bear compliance even to strictest standard like CARB show how the company cares to the common good and not just after the sales.
For your wood flooring needs, there is already a New York wood flooring firm that is lead-safe certified by US Environment Protection Agency (EPA): Wood Floor Planet Inc. Now that is a relief! Choose among the wide selection of wood flooring products that are CARB compliant and environment-friendly from various renowned brands all over the world.
