How Hazardous Is Particleboard?

Will my family suffer toxic exposure if we purchase a computer desk made with laminate on particleboard for my daughter? The company informed me that the particleboard has formaldehyde in it.

Emily Greenspan,

Brooklyn, New York

Pressed woods—particleboard, medium-density fiberboard and some plywood—contain, and release, vapors of formaldehyde, a volatile organic compound (VOC) classified by the EPA as a probable human carcinogen. Although manufacturers have reduced emissions from pressed wood 80 percent or more over the past two decades, formaldehyde can cause headache, nausea, allergic reactions and a burning sensation in the eyes, nose and mouth.

Although the plastic laminate on desks and other furniture provides a barrier to formaldehyde and doesn't itself offgas, formaldehyde can still escape from any exposed particleboard on edges and undersides. Unfinished surfaces can be sealed by coating them with a low-VOC sealant such as AFM Safe Seal. If you're sealing a surface such as a desktop, use Polyureseal BP or Acrylacq, Jay Watts at AFM recommends.

Furniture made from sustainably harvested, solid hardwood and formaldehyde-free pressed wood can be found with Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification (see Certifiedwood.org). Scientific Certification Systems and the Rainforest Alliance (RA) SmartWood program are FSC-accredited, and both have websites with company lists. RA's site includes a Rediscovered Wood listing of recycled and reclaimed wood products.

For FSC-certified hardwood desks, prices are steep, starting at about $500, and many are upwards of $1,000. If you're shopping online, the Joinery (www.thejoinery.com) has a shallow cherry writing desk for $710, and Pacific Rim has a maple writing desk for $739.95 (www.abundantearth.com). Or you can go affordable and wood-free with IKEA's steel Krister computer desk, $30 (www.ikea-usa.com). You can also buy used furniture: Pressed wood offgases most heavily when new. Formaldehyde emissions increase in heat and humidity, so make sure your home is well ventilated. For more products and health/eco info, see The Green Guide's Product Reports on wood furnitureand wood finishes.