CATAS is now officially on the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Third Party Certifier list. The EPA carries out tests and certifications on formaldehyde emissions from wood-based panels.
In the US, CATAS has already been recognised by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) since 2009. It is one of the 43 laboratories in the world able to certify such emissions.
From next December, manufacturers, importers and distributors of wood-based panels must comply with the following well-defined limits if they want to operate in American territory: 0.05 parts per million (ppm) for plywood panels; 0.09 ppm for particle boards; 0.11 ppm for MDF panels and 0.13 ppm for thin MDF panels (up to 8 mm).
The “Formaldehyde Standards for Composite Wood” also adds new restrictions to the California standard. It will cover, for example, veneered panels, which will have to meet the limits defined for plywood depending on the type of adhesive used to bond the covering material.
