General Tools & Instruments’ hand-held meter determines unsafe formaldehyde levels and could help save lives

Recent tests revealed that Chinese-made laminate flooring sold by a company in the US emitted unsafe levels of formaldehyde, –a compound found in the adhesives that bind wood fibres together in the core boards of engineered flooring. At high levels, formaldehyde can cause cancer. Even at low levels, it can induce respiratory problems and irritate the eyes, nose and throat.

As laminate floorings are widely in use, there are concerns about the levels of formaldehyde content.

A new handheld Formaldehyde Meter (FD08) from US firm General Tools & Instruments (General) has been projected as a perfect tool for determining whether flooring, carpeting, drapes, wall board and other furnishings installed in a consumer’s home or a business office emit an unsafe level of formaldehyde. It is also suitable for measuring workplace levels of the toxic gas in manufacturing facilities and warehouses.

The FD08 is described as an invaluable Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) measurement tool for home and commercial contractors, remodelers and home inspectors. It is also highly useful to plant managers and operators, and plant safety and environmental health personnel in manufacturing facilities where formaldehyde is used in resins and bindings, or as a process chemical.

General’s Formaldehyde Meter has a range of 0 to 5 ppm and a resolution of 0.01 ppm. With an accuracy of +/-(5%+0.03 ppm), it meets the US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) acceptance criterion for accuracy. The unit has an operating range of 32° to 122° F (0° to 50° C) and also measures temperature and relative humidity. Readings are displayed on a 2 in (51 mm) LCD.

The device tracks, calculates and displays three cumulative formaldehyde gas metrics: 8-hour TWA (Time-Weighted Average), 1-hour average, and 15-minute STEL (Short-Term Exposure Limit).