Nowadays, many families prefer to buy furniture from material like plywood to solid wood. This is definitely the opposite from the grand grandparent era where furniture is made of solid. The main reason is that solid wood furniture is expensive compared to the engineered one.
Nevertheless, do they know that there is dangerous substance found in pressed wood products? The indoor pollutant such as formaldehyde found dominant in those products. The perception of buying furniture seen from the price has to change immediately or the safety and health of the members of family endangered.
Formaldehyde, a known carcinogen, is a colorless gas used in home building materials and household products. Furniture made of plywood, veneer, or medium density fiber (MDF) use formaldehyde as a method of treating the wood and keeping parasites out. It is also can be found in rugs, glues, paint, fuel-burning appliances, like gas stoves and other natural events. This means it can be present in high levels both indoors and outdoors.
The dangerous side from formaldehyde is the health effects. The health effects of formaldehyde are from watery, burning eyes to nausea and trouble breathing. Even the high levels may trigger attacks in people with asthma, to cause cancer in animals and may cause cancer in humans.
Homeowner has to start to prevent the healthy problem by:
• Change the furniture to safer material like solid wood.
• If budget becomes a problem then choose wood alternative.
• Increase ventilation as much as possible and windows weather is permitting.
• Use a fan or open the door regularly to get rid the pollutant out.
• Put some green plants that absorb chemicals and replace the air with clean oxygen, leading to a healthier home. Plants are like, peace lily, green spider plant, and golden pathos, and sansevieria are recommended.
Being safe and healthy in term of comfort living environment is now easy to do so I suppose.
