Thoughts on MDF Relating to Health Hazards, Outgassing Etc.

[Grasshopper]

As the title suggests, I wanted to see what FOGgers thought about MDF from a health perspective.  I was at my local lumberyard and I asked a guy I like to work with and his response was pretty surprising.  He told me that he'd never have MDF in his house or near his kids under any circumstances.

I think he is certainly taking an extreme, but I thought I'd ask what you all think.  A quick search on the internet and you can find a lot of opinions on the subject.  I realize that there is a major difference in quality, construction etc in poplar vs. MDF, so that isn't the purpose of this thread.  My question, is what you think regarding possible health hazards and  the urea-formaldehyde or phenol-formaldehyde, which off-gasses into interior air.

I plan to do a lot of wainscoting throughout my house, and the MDF seems like it would paint up much better than hardwood (not to mention it is cheaper).  At the end of the day, I prefer to err on the side of safety if there is even a hint of risk.

What do y'all say about MDF?

 

[mouppe]

I'm not an expert but this this what I have come to believe. Most off-gassing occurs within the first year of manufacture. After that it is usually minimal. If you ventilate the product after you unpack or cut it, that can help. If you paint, varnish or seal it in some way, that will help reduce off-gassing.

Formeldahyde smells. If you can't smell it, I wouldn't worry about it.

I wouldn't sleep in a bed made from MDF, but I wouldn't avoid using it in kitchens or bathrooms if I had to. After I have veneered MDF, I can't smell it at all so that tells me the offgassing is undetectable. If it's undetectable it's not a worry.

A lot of MDF nowadays has low VOC levels anyway.

If you prefer to do your panels in MDF I wouldn't be deterred by fears of offgassing.

 

[WastedP]

I usually try to examine things from a risk vs. reward perspective.  I grew up in a federal Superfund site, so I feel like I have a higher sensitivity to environmental hazards than the average person.  I could be wrong on this, but since I was in kindergarten, people have been telling me that the world around me is full of poison.  So maybe I am over-cautious on this point.

I love the consistency and machinability of MDF.  However, my slab of choice is Plum Creek's Glacier Clear, which is a no-added-urea-formaldehyde product.  I don't use fabric softener, i'm sensitive to scented candles, I wash with Dr. Bronner's soap, I only buy organic produce, my kitchen cabinet doors are made from Glacier Clear.  I will confess that I love the smell of solid surface glue and Festool Plug-It cords, because they both smell like money.  I haven't seen any evidence, anecdotal or scientific, that would lead me to believe that NAUF MDF poses any serious threat to my health.  Certainly less of a hazard than gluten or trans-fats are made out to be.