Characterization and Analysis of Very Volatile Organic Compounds and Odors from Medium Density Fiberboard Coated with Differenet Lacquers Using Gas Chromatography Coupled with Mass Spectrometry and Olfactormetry

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from furniture and interior furnishing materials have been proven to pose adverse health effects. However, very VOCs (VVOCs) and odors were rarely taken into account. To bridge this gap, emissions of VVOCs and odors from medium density fiberboard (MDF) coated with different lacquers were characterized using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry and olfactometry detection. The results demonstrated that the total VVOC AT THE 28th d (TVVOC28) from the control sample was higher than that of the other three lacquered samples. Alcohol VVOCs were the most abundant chemicals from the control MDF, followed by ketones, esters, and ethers, accounting for more than 90% of the total concentration. Also, they were the major odor-contributing substances with higher odor intensities. Nitrocellulose (NC), polyurethane (PU), and water-based (WB) lacquer paintings had a suppressive effect on the emission of certain VVOCs but promotion of the others. After the lacquer paintings, alcohols and ethers were the major components, accounting for 82.3% ~ 88.0% of the total VVOC. In addition, odors were affected by these three lacquer paintings. Fruity was the dominant odor impression of MDF, NC and PU decoration MDF, with an odor rating of 4.4, 7.1, and 4.9, respectively. A multiodor mixture was the major odor impression of WB decoration MDF, with an odor rating around 4.0. The odor may differ from one lacquer to another. Additionally, a newly added fishy-like odor arose in PU lacquer painting. From the data analysis of this study, PU and WB decoration MDF might be suitable for furniture or decorative materials due to their lower pollutants and odor emissions. Based on the comprehensive evaluation indices, the latter may be more preferred and was highly recommended for indoor applications.