Energy Required to Neutralize Formaldehyde Off-Gassing in Residential Houses PDF

During the past three years, the concentration of formaldehyde has been monitored in several new houses located in the Phoenix, Arizona area. There are numerous chemicals that can cause health problems in residential houses but we have chosen to focus our research on formaldehyde since it is a known carcinogen and found at some level in nearly every home. This paper reports on results from two houses, one has a ventilation air system and the other does not. A ventilation rate comparable to that calculated using the ASHRAE 62.2-2004 standard is shown to have a dramatic impact on reducing the formaldehyde concentration. The need for a 21st century ventilation system that will not add to the energy drain is discussed. During the summer in the Southwestern US, cooling even a moderate rate of ventilation air can account for over 15% of the total cooling load.

IAQ 2007 Conference held in Baltimore, Maryland, October 14-17, 2007

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