HIGH POINT, N.C. - Appalachian Hardwood Manufacturers, Inc. (AHMI), promoting the advantages of formaldehyde-free real, solid wood to public, are contrasting its natural qualities with the unsafe laminate flooring that had gotten Lumber Liquidators into trouble with consumers.
"Discount flooring companies selling imported laminate floors have been providing customers with products that can carry seven to twenty times the base amount of carcinogenic formaldehyde allowed by the EPA," says the AHMI. "At these levels, formaldehyde secretes from the flooring and into the home's air, becoming a high-level health risk, especially for children and pets who are most susceptible to its effects. Carcinogenic formaldehyde found in artificial wood has been linked to lung and nasal cancer, nausea, asthma, and other severe respiratory issues."
ARTICLE Low risk of cancer from composite wood cabinetry, KCMA asserts KCMA says to receive its Environmental Stewardship Program seal on cabinetry, manufacturers must prove that all composite wood used in the cabinets is CARB Phase 2 compliant. | 
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Wood industry trade groups, including furniture and cabinetry makers, have been trying to separate their goods from the products made in China that contained high levels of formaldehyde. The Kitchen Cabinet Makers Association issued a statement last week saying that there is no risk of exposure to formaldehyde in cabinets that receive its Environmental Stewardship Program seal, because its program requires that engineered wood used in it must be CARB Compliant.
Other groups have questioned the validity of testing methods used to detect formaldehyde in wood products - such as flooring sold by online retailer Wayfair - tests that deconstruct the multi-layered sandwich that makes up laminate flooring. The Hardwood Plywood and Veneer Association estimates that “finishes of paint, lacquer, sealants, laminate, plastic or other material” reduce formaldehyde emissions of the underlying raw board by 90 percent.
Lumber Liquidators, which saw its stock pummeled and business plummet after a "60 Minutes" investigation on CBS found high levels of formaldehyde in its flooring. The Consumer Products Safety Commission officially confirmed 60 Minute's findings in a February 12 press release. Lumber Liquidators stopped importing flooring from China last year to eliminate doubts among consumers about the safety of its flooring.
The Appalachian wood group, whose 200 members are based in 12 eastern states, contrasts hardwood to imported laminate flooring.
"Appalachian Hardwood offers all-natural, chemical-free products that, when manufactured into flooring, have been shown to improve air quality and respiratory health. Appalachian Hardwood is solid, real, organic wood. No glues or bonding agents are used to compose the wooden panels, so there is no risk of harmful emissions releasing into your home." www.appalachianhardwood.org
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