Raw Form MDF a health hazard?

[HawkEye]

I know that its very unhealthy to saw MDF without proper extraction, dust mask, good ventilation and so forth. But what about having an MDF unit in a room you spend alot of time in. If your MDF is in raw form bought from store is it at all possible that you could still be damaging your health from it just being in the room?

I'm in the process of making an MDF unit but have worries now after reading thing's on the internet about it being as damaging to your health as asbestos. Is there any truth in this?

Another thing is, I was thinking about using an MDF sealant to try and make it more healthy and want to know how I can throughly clean all the dust and dirt off the MDF before applying it, especially at the face edges. Water seems to interact badly with MDF from what I have read. Will the sealant lock in any nasties I don't want in my environment?

Thanks for any information.

 

[jasonB]

The majority of MDF now sold in this country is Class A Low Formaldihide so the amount of gasses it will give of are not worth worrying about. If you are really worried then buy ZF MDF (zero formaldihide)

A tack rag will remove dust without raising the surface but expect the first coat of a water based finish to raise it (assuming you are using waterbased due to wanting low VOC's)

Jason

 

[HawkEye]

I was going to use an MDF sealant by itself. Will this give off high VOC's?

 

[jasonB]

depends what one you are thinking of using?

Any solvent based product will tend to give off more VOCs than waterbased. I never bother with a sealer just waterbased Dulux Trade primer/undercoat then oil based eggshell or gloss as required. Once dry there will not be any significant gassing off of the oil based top coats but you could use waterbased if you want.

I have used Earthborn's paints in teh past which are enviromentally friendly, if not freindly to your wallet :wink: Some of the eco paint companies also do "MDF Pasivating" paints & primers.

Jason

 

[HeathRobinson]

Hi guys,

Pardon me for chipping in but I had a related question. I've been using disposable P2 filters but have been looking to get a re-usable half mask instead. I also do some airbrushing so 2 birds 1 stone. I'm looking at the 3M 7500 series half mask as it's fully maintainable.

With regard to filter selection: For the paint I'll be going for a P2 and the appropriate organic vapours/gases filter along with an overspray cover. For woodworking, in the main, a P2 or P3 with a dust extractor for power tools should be sufficient.

Anyway, here is where it becomes relevant to this discussion. While researching the paint side of things I discovered that one of the organic vapour filters also protects against Formaldehyde. If anybody knows for certain if this would act as added safety in the face of the formaldehyde in ply, mdf and urea formaldehyde glues I'd be interested to hear from them.

Simon

 

[HawkEye]

Well I wanted to use sealant because I don't want to paint the wood white/ discolour the wood. So I was thinking about a water based sealant because it won't discolour the wood but it will lock in the nasties. Is this a possibility?

Also I have read about people mixing plain PVA glue with water and applying it but I'm assuming this is oilbased which will give of higher VOC's. What do you think?

 

[jasonB]

Rustin's make a clear waterbased sealer, not tried it myself but may be worth contacting them

http://www.rustins.co.uk/product.htm?chgprod=MDFS

Jason

 

[HawkEye]

How many coats will I need?

 

[jasonB]

Dont know, as I said I've not used it, have a look at the data sheets

I would think as this is going to be the finish coat then two on flat faces and 3 on cut edges. Sand between coats with 320grit abrasive. The quality of the MDF will also dictate how many coats are needed, cheap MDF fluffs up more than teh MR MDF I tend to use.

Jason

 

[big soft moose]

get a few peace lillies - not only will they brighten up the shop (and keep swimbo happy) but they live by scavenging VOCs out of the air.

 

[dickm]

get a few peace lillies - not only will they brighten up the shop (and keep swimbo happy) but they live by scavenging VOCs out of the air.

But for heaven's sake don't let a cat near them. They are highly toxic to felines - been several deaths round here from them lately.

 

[Richard Findley]

But for heaven's sake don't let a cat near them. They are highly toxic to felines - been several deaths round here from them lately.

Sounds like I could do with some of them for my garden!!

I think that the dangers of MDF are only an issue to people that work it day in-day out. The occasional user (with normal P2 dust mask and some extraction) or the purchaser of MDF products really doesn't need to worry. Any kind of paint finish would hold in the MDF "smell" on a finished product.

Cheers,

Richard

 

[Derek Willis.]

A couple of years ago, this scare was discussed in Good Woodworking, with opinions by scientists, manufacturers, users and others in the know, the outcome was that M.D.F. is no more dangerous than any other man made board, and that only because of the problem of lung congestion by breathing in the fine dust made by sawing and machining. Formaldehyde is in content as it is a preservative, but that the Formaldehyde is wrapped in resin and will not be present in it's raw state, so cannot therefore, be of any consequence.
Derek.

 

[HeathRobinson]

Richard and Derek,

This is a quote from a HSE publication on the matter - a different finding from the internet forum opinion that you relate.

The atmosphere created by machining MDF contains a mixture of wood dust (typically 85-100% softwood for MDF manufactured in Great Britain), free formaldehyde, dust particles onto which formaldehyde is adsorbed and, potentially, the resin binder itself and its derivatives.

However, they then say this:

WATCH endorsed the conclusion of the hazard assessment that there is no evidence that the ill-health effects associated with exposure arising from the machining of MDF are different from those associated with similar exposure arising from machining other forms of wood.

Link to source

My personal opinion is that although someone who works with this stuff day in and day out will obviously have a greater exposure over a given time period, it is equally beholdent upon the occassional user to protect themselves. Eventually even occassional use can build up in effect, that is how these sorts of things work. Why take unecessary chances? This is why I have asked in my previous post on here about the Formaldehyde filters for my half mask respiratory protection.I prefer not to settle for 'good enough' or the argument of 'no evidence' when it comes to safety, it is not possible to be too safe in my view.


All the best in 2009,
Simon

 

[Jake]

I prefer not to settle for 'good enough' or the argument of 'no evidence' when it comes to safety, it is not possible to be too safe in my view.

Do you wear a tin-foil hat in your oxygen bubble tent? :lol: