Monitoring Formaldehyde in a Chipboard Manufacturing Plant

The manufacturing process to produce chipboard commonly uses formaldehyde. Formaldehyde is a toxic, carcinogenic gas, which affects the mucus membranes such as the lungs, eyes and nose. At low concentrations, its effects cause a mild irritation, while at higher concentrations inhalation of the gas can result in death.

Egger (UK), a subsidiary of an Austrian company which has manufacturing sites in several European cities, manufactures chipboard in Northern England. In order for Egger (UK) to produce chipboard at this site, the HMIP (The UK pollution inspectorate) required that the plant measured, on a continuous basis, the vent emissions of formaldehyde to the atmosphere.