Distribution of Indoor Concentrations and Emission Sources of Formaldehyde in Japanese Residences

Indoor air quality, air exchange rates, and radioactivity in new built temporary houses following the Great East Japan Earthquake in Minamisoma, Fukushima

“…In comparison, the average indoor formaldehyde concentration measured within temporary houses in Minamisoma City (5 in August, September, October; 4 in January; N = 19) was 29 μg/m 3 (35 μg/m 3 in spring to autumn; 6.7 μg/m 3 in winter). This was comparable with average levels measured in general houses (0.028 ppm; 34 μg/m 3 ) built following amendment of the Building Code in 2003 (CHORD, ); and lower than those in general houses built before the amendment of the Building Code, which were reported as 89 μg/m 3 in summer to autumn (Park and Ikeda, ); and 94 μg/m 3 in summer to autumn and 28 μg/m 3 in winter (Shinohara et al., ). Fiberboard, particleboard, and MDF were identified as potential sources of formaldehyde emission in US temporary houses (Maddalena et al., ), whereas in Japan, the revised Building Code (MLIT, ) limits emission rates of formaldehyde from building materials to 5 μg/m 2 /h.…”

The Variability of Indoor Air Pollutants in the Office and Their Impact on the Workers’ Health

“…The same trend has been found for air in corridors and bathrooms, which could be explained by formaldehyde emission from the surface area of materials (wood products, carpet, and insulation) [45,46]. Interestingly, at the end of the program, the formaldehyde concentration became significantly higher than in the corridor due to the emission from different furniture and electronic devices presented in the office [47].…”