New Office Building Requires Tenants to Forgo Office Furnishings that Emit Formaldehyde & VOCs

Cinnaminson, NJ, March 14, 2013

Earlier this month, the Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal published a report about Seattle’s new Bullitt Center. The Bullitt Center is a project of the Bullitt Foundation and is being called the greenest commercial building in the world.

The six-story commercial building encompasses 50,000 square feet of space and offers sustainable features such as solar and onsite wastewater treatment. In keeping with the green focus of the new commercial building, it has been reported that tenants signing leases must, “Forgo any new office furniture that contains formaldehyde, volatile organic compounds or other components considered toxic.”

Formaldehyde is a colorless and strong-smelling gas that is used to make many building materials and office furnishings. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “Formaldehyde is known to cause cancer. The cancer of greatest concern is cancer of the nose and throat…Exposure to formaldehyde might increase the chance of getting cancer even at levels too low to cause symptoms.”

One company that has been helping to identify formaldehyde in indoor environments is EMSL Analytical, Inc.  EMSL has a network of laboratories across North America that provide sampling supplies and testing services for this and other potentially harmful gases. “Exposure to concentrations of formaldehyde in the ppm range in industrial settings is known to cause cancer,” stated Vincent M. Daliessio, CIH, Project Manager at EMSL Analytical. “However, office buildings often have indoor air concentrations of 20 to 30 ppb of formaldehyde, when as little as 7 ppb may cause eye and respiratory irritation. EMSL helps people avoid exposure by offering air testing services and product off-gassing analysis so that building owners and manufacturers concerned about exposure to formaldehyde and other potentially harmful substances can have their buildings and products scientifically tested.”

EMSL has sponsored a video about the hazards associated with formaldehyde in indoor environments, it can be seen at: http://youtu.be/yD4pTC8GVpE.

For more information about testing for formaldehyde or other indoor air quality (IAQ) services, please visit www.EMSL.com, email info@EMSL.com or call (800) 220-3675.

About EMSL Analytical, Inc.
EMSL Analytical is a nationally recognized and locally focused provider of quality environmental, indoor air quality and materials testing services and products to professionals and the general public.  The company has an extensive list of accreditations from leading organizations as well as state and federal regulating bodies.

Contact Information

Joseph Frasca

Senior Vice President of Marketing

EMSL Analytical

(1) 1-800-220-3675

jfrasca@emsl.com