Mrs. Barbara Lager 

Director of Regulatory Affairs 

One Ashley Way 

Arcadia, WI 54612 

July 12, 2013 

Dear Mrs. Lager: 

UL Environment is currently conducting a project to measure chemical emissions from Ashley Furniture 

products. This letter includes preliminary findings of the formaldehyde emission rates and includes some 

perspective on how the formaldehyde emission performance of the furniture compares to the allowable 

emission levels for the proposed EPA regulation for composite wood products. 

The Northshore furniture set selected for testing includes the furniture pieces summarized in Table 1. 

Table 1. Northshore Furniture Set 

SKU DescriPtion 

B553 - 193 3 Drawer Nightstand 

B553- 49T ToPArrnoire 

B553 - 49B Base Armoire 

B553- 39 Media Chest 

B553- 46 Chest 

B553 - 131 Dresser 

B553- 196 Rails (Queen) 

B553- 36 Mirror 

B553- 75 Rails (Queen Sleigh) 

B553 - 157 Headboard (Queen Panel) 

B553- 254 Footboard (Queen Panel) 

D553- 55T Dining Room Table 

A picture of the furniture in the test chamber is included as Attachment 1 and a representative floor plan 

of this furniture in a room is included in Attachment 2 to this letter. 

Testing was conducted in a 31 m3 dynamic environmental chamber operated according to the guidelines 

of ASTM D 6670. Purified air was delivered to the chamber at standard conditions of 23°C, 50% relative 

humidity, and 1 air change per hour over a 7 -day test period. Formaldehyde levels in the chamber were 

monitored throughout the test. The chamber concentration measured following a 7-day equilibrium time 

was used to calculate an emission rate of 1.527 mg/hr. 

The emission rate was used to calculate a predicted exposure concentration of 0.033 ppm. The results 

and modeling parameter used to predict indoor exposure are presented in Table 2. 

UL Environment 

2211 Newmarket Parkway, Suite 106 

Marietta, GA 30067 
® 

Table 2. Fonnaldehyde Predicted Exposure Calculations 

Chamber Room Air Predicted 

Allowable Product Air Change Emission Surface Room Chan~e Exposure 

Emissions1 Loading2 Rate2 Rate Area3 Volume" Rate Concentration 

Product ppm mgtm3 m2/m3 hr'1 mg/m2

•hr m2 m3 hr"1 mg/m3 Ppm 

Northshore Furniture 1.527 1 83.25 0.45 0.041 0.033 Set' 

Plywood 0.05 0.061 0.95 0.5 0.032 9.218 83.25 0.45 0.008 0.006 

Particleboard 0.09 0.110 0.43 0.5 0.128 1.748 83.25 0.45 0.006 0.005 

MDF 0.1 1 0.135 0.26 0.5 0.260 33.658 83.25 0.45 0.233 0.190 

Thin MDF 0.13 0.160 0.26 0.5 0.307 17.005 83.25 0.45 0.139 0.1 13 

Composite Wood 0.315 Total 

1. Maximum allowable emissions per CARB Fonnaldehyde Regulation Phase 2. 

2. Product loading and chamber air change rate per ASTM E 1333 test method. 

3. Exposed surface area of each type of composite wood used in the tested furniture suite (calculated by Ashley Furniture). 

4. Room volume for 16.33 ft x 22.5 ft room shown in Attachment 2 assuming 8ft ceiling height. 

5. Air change rate for residential environment per EPA Exposure Factors Handbook. 

6. Northshore Furniture Set emission rate is for complete set (composite of emissions from all furniture pieces). 

UL Environment 

2211 Newmarket Parkway, Suite 106 

Marietta, GA 30067 
® 

Table 2 also includes an estimate of the maximum potential contribution from the composite wood 

products used to manufacture the Northshore Furniture Set The predicted exposure concentrations from 

each type of composite wood assume that each material emits formaldehyde at the highest level allowed 

under the proposed EPA rule (worst-case sc~nario). The combined emissions of the composite wood 

products could potentially result in an exposure concentration of up to 0.315 ppm. 

Based on the analysis in Table 2, the Northsliore Furniture Set emissions represent an 89% decrease 

compared to the maximum allowable emissions from the newly manufactured (unlaminated) composite 

wood products. 

Sincerely, 

Dr. Elliot Horner 

Lead Scientist 

UL Environment. Inc. 

Attachment 1 -Photograph of Northshore Furniture Set in Test Chamber 

Attachment 2- Floor Plan of Northshore Furniture Set 

UL Environment 

2211 Newmarket Parkway, Suite 106 

Marietta, GA 30067 
Attachment 1-Photograph of Northshore Furniture Set in Test Chamber 

UL Environment 

2211 Newmarket Parkway, Suite 106 

Marietta, GA 30067 
Attachment 2- Floor Plan of Northshore Furniture Set 

(provided by Ashley Furniture) 

Ul Environment 

2211 Newmarket Parkway, Suite 106 

Marietta, GA 30067 

tJ v ~~~--~_.j s~ltt? h 

------------------

fl.e L e~ t- UJ_db{ ~ ~ 

E 12-l\'- '-'\ 'Y\ t.k~ t-llov 

~0~(1~ 

1

-0 ~i\ \1 Q {\ d I td\~ 

C ~(~\ Mrt(~ 

'& "'" 0 A~""s £-vrixJ rcJ NudJ4!:. 

EfA 

±;t4-

(RP\ 

\>.~tt) I -tt~ 

2 o 2-- 5(, 't -<{c;&,/p e/.Lir:,tt .... v,f:;.Jl4- t:J*.<5JoV 

'Zo-z..-Sb~-\,~c;,o \.J\V..~tt · ~lc.i) tr~o..~lJ

z_oz...--5&(;,-10'81 (_t)~. ~ 

r ·CD ~ Cf:~ ?

~*"(:£,- ~ 1 1 V~wii~\\) l\fp!l0ff,19J