Developing a new method of measuring formaldehyde emissions from wood based panels

A new and fast system for determining formaldehyde (HCHO) release of wood based panels (WBPs) for use in manufacturer’s labs was developed. For sample preparation, solid phase microextraction (SPME) with a derivatisation step was used. The analytical system consists of a gas chromatographic column (GC) coupled to a high field asymmetric waveform ion mobility spectrometer (FAIMS). The emitted HCHO is determined in gaseous form, i.e. without trapping it in water. The system runs quasi-continuously with a cycle time of 20 min. This paper explains the basic functioning, and presents first results from a field trial.