This article is a bit “scholarly” as it is written for professionals. But the writing is fully understandable and seems like a good reference:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5227115/
The noncarcinogenic effects of MDF dust and formaldehyde include eye and skin irritation [2, 7, 8], dermatitis, [9] respiratory illnesses such as nasal inflammation [10], asthma [7, 11, 12], bronchitis [13], coughing, loud breathing, and wheezing [11, 12], and lower chest discomfort [8]. Compared to those not exposed to MDF products, their lung function, for example, forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), may also be reduced [7, 14, 15]. […]
Exposure to MDF dust and formaldehyde varied among employees from different working departments in the production process. As regards the type of wood, in terms of statistical significance, the amount of dust from MDF is greater than that from soft wood [16]. Apart from the type of wood and the size of the particles [17], the amount of dust also depends on the composition of the MDF, such as the connecting substances (e.g., glue). Concerning the efficiency of factory control, an appropriate ventilation system will reduce the concentration of MDF dust and formaldehyde, but the dust control systems in factories located in Southeast Asia are not usually very efficient [18], and so personal hazard preventions include the use of masks and so on [19].
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5227115/
The noncarcinogenic effects of MDF dust and formaldehyde include eye and skin irritation [2, 7, 8], dermatitis, [9] respiratory illnesses such as nasal inflammation [10], asthma [7, 11, 12], bronchitis [13], coughing, loud breathing, and wheezing [11, 12], and lower chest discomfort [8]. Compared to those not exposed to MDF products, their lung function, for example, forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), may also be reduced [7, 14, 15]. […]
Exposure to MDF dust and formaldehyde varied among employees from different working departments in the production process. As regards the type of wood, in terms of statistical significance, the amount of dust from MDF is greater than that from soft wood [16]. Apart from the type of wood and the size of the particles [17], the amount of dust also depends on the composition of the MDF, such as the connecting substances (e.g., glue). Concerning the efficiency of factory control, an appropriate ventilation system will reduce the concentration of MDF dust and formaldehyde, but the dust control systems in factories located in Southeast Asia are not usually very efficient [18], and so personal hazard preventions include the use of masks and so on [19].
