1. Introduction
Building materials play an important role in determining the
indoor air quality owing to their large surface areas and permanent
exposure to indoor air. Building materials can release wide range of
pollutants, particularly the volatile organic compounds (VOCs),
which can cause indoor air related health problems. Since building
materials are important sources of VOCs in indoor environments,
their emission characteristics should be studied.
Wood-based panels, such as particleboard (PB), medium density
fiberboard (MDF) and veneer, are used widely in the manufacture
of furniture, flooring, housing and other industrial products.
However, wood-based panels bonded with urea-formaldehyde
(UF) resin emit formaldehyde, which is toxic and is associated
with possible health hazards, such as irritation of the eyes and the
upper respiratory tract [1].
Laminated flooring has been used widely in Europe for more
than 20 years and has recently gained popularity in North America