It’s important that your furniture be free of toxic stains and finishes. Many manufacturers use materials and chemicals that are less than eco-friendly. Some of these materials are often toxic to the family using the furniture every day. Yet, these materials are used in mass produced furniture lines that occupies most retail showrooms. There are many options when your family is shopping for new furniture, like Amish pieces or other natural hardwoods.

Formaldehyde

Pressed wood is used in many mass produced pieces. In addition to being a lower quality product, pressed wood contains urea-formaldehyde that is used in the adhesive. Pressed woods include particleboard, hardwood plywood used for panels and medium density fiberboard.

The formaldehyde is a gas that, when used throughout a home, can cause irritation in the eyes, nose, and throat as well as tiredness, asthma symptoms and rashes. People who are sensitive to the formaldehyde may experience more severe symptoms.

The concentration of the chemical in the home increases with the number of pressed board furniture pieces. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) advises limiting the number of pressed board pieces in the home in order to reduce the risk of formaldehyde contamination.

Polyvinyl Chloride

A chemical used in many plastics is also used to coat many low quality wood furniture pieces. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is considered a serious threat to human health and the environment for several reasons.

• The material uses or produces chemicals like vinyl chloride that are linked to cancers.
• Production of the material leads to groundwater and air pollution.
• Additives like lead are used in production and can become a hazard to your home.

Polyvinyl chloride is found in furniture made of faux wood and/or faux leather. They are inexpensive pieces, which appeals to families on a budget. However, the PVC can cause health problems that far outweigh the furniture savings. Buying real wood furniture is the only way to avoid buying pieces made with PVC as it is difficult to determine if the piece has been coated with the material.

Volatile Organic Compounds

Identifiable by the strong “new furniture smell” volatile organic compounds or VOC’s are a category of chemicals that include formaldehyde and also acetaldehyde, benzene, xylene, toluene and isocyanates. These chemicals are found in the stains, paints and furniture of a lower quality than real wood. Although formaldehyde is the headlining carcinogen in the group, the other compounds also buildup in the home environment, leading to allergic reactions.

Toxic Free Living

Buying real wood from a company known for using quality products is the best way to keep your home environment free of these harmful chemicals.  Many Amish furniture outlets like Amish Tables support chemical free stains and adhesives, resulting in eco-freindly, toxic-free furniture.

Tags: acetaldehyde, Amish Tables, benzene, Environmental Protection Agency, formaldehyde, Furniture, gas, green, Polyvinyl chloride, toluene and isocyanates, toxics, urea-formaldehyde, Volatile Organic Compounds, Wood, xylene

This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 20th, 2010 at 3:25 pm and is filed under American Made, Understanding Hardwood and Furniture Construction, eco-friendly. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.