Why mdf is bad

Nonetheless, when working with these products, you should have appropriate dust collection at the source of dust creation, proper ventilation and air filtration, and wear an appropriate personal respirator a NIOSH-approved dust mask for particulates when sawing or sanding.

This is absurd for several reasons. A better way to phrase that is to say that all materials require you to understand what the potential hazards are and how to minimize them.

If you are barbecuing in a grill, you know there is a potential for things to catch fire, so you have a fire extinguisher close by. If you understand why MDF is potentially harmful, then you can figure out how to minimize those harms; if your shop is unable to minimize those harms, than its use should be avoided. My second point is this: if a shop avoids MDF because the dust gets in the air and employees breath it, it implies a larger safety issue. While formaldehyde is a suspected carcinogen, sawdust itself is a known carcinogen.

Let me repeat that: sawdust is a known carcinogen see here. If you allow sawdust to fill the air of your shop, you are basically filling your shop with carcinogens. So a shop or person that avoids MDF because the dust gets in the air is still allowing the dust from other products to fill the air, which is just as harmful to breath as MDF dust. The particles, much smaller than those emitted by most other commonly used woods, can be inhaled deep into the lungs.

Since , the Californian Building Industry Association has put up stickers in new homes containing MDF, warning: 'This house contains a chemical known to cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive hazards. In , rumours circulated in the British timber industry that MDF was about to be banned in the United States and Australia because of formaldehyde emissions.

The US reduced its safety exposure limit to 0. Last month the Health and Safety Executive agreed to launch a two-year study into its impact. There is evidence that formaldehyde-exposed workers have high rates of lung cancer and nose and throat cancer. Recent studies from the International Agency for Research on Cancer, part of the World Health Organisation, concluded that wood dust is carcinogenic to humans and that formaldehyde is 'probably carcinogenic to humans'. The agency also quoted evidence that short-term exposure to formaldehyde could cause irritation to the eyes, nose and throat.

For builders and furniture makers who use MDF daily, the current exposure limit in the UK set by the Health and Safety Executive is two parts per million - more than 20 times that of other European countries such as Germany and Sweden. The GMB general union is campaigning for UK exposure levels to be cut drastically and for safer substances to be used where possible. The entertainment industry union, Bectu, whose members build sets for stage, film and television, wants the Health and Safety Executive to control the manufacture of MDF and crack down on employers who fail to protect workers.

It is carcinogenic. It causes lesions. It damages the eyes, the skin, the lungs and the heart. It is vile and pernicious. Mike Flannery, 44, teaches design at Budehaven School, Cornwall. Here are just a few of those drawbacks :. That possibly includes waxes, dyes, urea-formaldehyde, paraffin wax, water-resistant agents, insect-proof agents, and fire retardants. MDF is clearly not the best choice for your health, the environment, and even for social responsibility mass production outsourced from countries that practice child labor!

There are way more cons than pros. Solid wood is the best alternative to any conventional fiberboard furniture materials. The best option is solid wood furniture with a natural finish.

For more information about non toxic furniture, check our articles about solid wood bed frames , futon frames , and non toxic sofas. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Is MDF Safe? What is MDF? Laminated board: Some MDF products are finished with laminate, but a laminated board is its own thing altogether.

Then, the board is covered with a plastic, protective layer on one or both sides.