Formaldehyde in the Ambient Atmosphere: From an Indoor Pollutant to an Outdoor Pollutant?

Abstract

Formaldehyde has been discussed as a typical indoor pollutant for decades. Legal requirements and ever-lower limits for formaldehyde in indoor air have led to a continual reduction in the amount of formaldehyde released from furniture, building materials, and household products over many years. Slowly, and without much attention from research on indoor air, a change of paradigm is taking place, however. Today, the formaldehyde concentrations in outdoor air, particularly in polluted urban areas, sometimes already reach indoor levels. This is largely a result of photochemical processes and the use of biofuels. In the medium term, this development might have consequences for the way buildings are ventilated and lead to a change in the way we evaluate human exposure.

Wood-Based Materials

“…Through intensive research and development work, formaldehyde emissions from particleboards have declined dramatically in recent years. This also applies to other types of wood-based materials [95,117].…”

“…Due to its industrial, large-scale application, the substance is virtually ubiquitously present in indoor and outdoor air [117]. Binders containing formaldehyde are also frequently used in the production of wood-based panels.…”

Fate of methanol under one-pot artificial photosynthesis condition with metal-loaded TiO2 as photocatalysts

“…(5)). This phenomenon can be effectively utilized for the removal of formaldehyde from the contaminated air [54,75,76].…”

A ppb-Level Formaldehyde Gas Sensor Based on Rose-Like Nickel Oxide Nanoparticles Prepared Using Electrodeposition Process

“…Furthermore, formaldehyde concentrations in ambient air are continuously increasing in urban environments. 30 As a semiconductor of p-type conductivity, NiO is a promising candidate for the detection of the reducing gases because of its good sensitivity. 31 Despite the fact that several formaldehyde sensors based on NiO have been researched, most formaldehyde sensors use NiO thin¯lms as sensing materials.…”