0
$\begingroup$

I have bought IKEA cabinet and it had terrible formaldehyde smell from day one! So terrible that it was difficult to keep it inside the room.

I have ever shifted that in the garage to off-gas as much as possible. I also got air quality sensor and its giving me 0.004 mg/m3 HCHO reading inside the cabinet. However I am still able to (not as strongly as before) smell that typical woody smell formaldehyde gives.

Question: could this indicate that the sensor might be faulty or just that we are still able to smell formaldehyde at that concentration?

Improve this question
$\endgroup$
6
  • 2
    $\begingroup$ How sure are you that what you're smelling is formaldehyde? $\endgroup$
    – DrMoishe Pippik
    Commented Sep 8 at 2:14
  • $\begingroup$ Since measurements are comparisons against a standard, and borrowing an approach in radio chemistry (the determination of background radiation), what is the concentration of HCHO e.g., in the vented garage prior to the addition of the new cabinet presumed to be the source? What is the range of concentration of HCHO the sensor is designed for? $\endgroup$
    – Buttonwood
    Commented Sep 8 at 16:15
  • $\begingroup$ @DrMoishePippik i am not sure if I am smelling formaldehyde. It could be other chemicals but the sensor also gives TVOC as 0.006 mg/m3 so it could be the case of bad sensor! Although the sensor is new this $\endgroup$
    – gfdsal
    Commented Sep 9 at 7:00
  • $\begingroup$ @Buttonwood the sensor almost reads 0 mg/m3 at any other place. Also since the threhold isnt high enough, it logs 0.004 as 0 in the time series logger. Do you know where can i take it to do some bench test like furniture store to get some reference of how high can it go. Offcourse i shall not be purchasing formaldehyde anytime soon to do the test $\endgroup$
    – gfdsal
    Commented Sep 9 at 7:03
  • $\begingroup$ At industrial scale, bodies like NIST sell standards, and less so, calibrate sensors to keep the equipment of accredited companies "in sync". More affordable and then accessible to an individual would be to lend a certified sensor (usually with sticker when this was checked) for a day/over the weekend, or to get in touch with an environmental lab. If EPA dedicates a page with e.g., a couple of Q&A about flooring, I presume they have a lists of addresses at hand. $\endgroup$
    – Buttonwood
    Commented Sep 9 at 15:54

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
2
$\begingroup$

Formaldehyde should not be detectable, let alone recognizable, at ~4 ppb [1]. It is strong, but not that strong.

I also wouldn't really describe the smell of formaldehyde as "woody." The "new furniture smell" is often attributed to entirely to formaldehyde in popular articles, but that can't be true. Pure formaldehyde smells quite different, and much nastier. The smell is surely a mixture of many chemicals, only one of which is formaldehyde.

Your sensor reading suggests that the formaldehyde is minimal at this point, but your nose is still detecting one or more of the other components.

A faulty sensor is also always possible.

[1] For example, Leonardos et. al. (https://doi.org/10.1080/00022470.1969.10466465) gives a detection threshold of 1 ppm or 1000 ppb. Nagata, "Measurement of Odor Threshold by Triangle Odor Bag Method", 2003 (https://www.env.go.jp/en/air/odor/measure/02_3_2.pdf) gives 500 ppb.

Improve this answer
$\endgroup$
1
  • $\begingroup$ This makes sense. I am now checking the sensor against known emitters of formaldehyde such as wood glue. I wish i have had the sensor when i bought the new furniture (when the smell was strong) to know if the sensor is indeed faulty. $\endgroup$
    – gfdsal
    Commented Sep 11 at 6:55

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.