Heavy Odor from Office Chairs

The newly purchased office chairs have a strong odor, which can be addressed through methods such as ventilation, activated carbon adsorption, and plant absorption. If discomfort symptoms occur, be vigilant about excessive harmful gases and conduct testing for confirmation.

The strong odor from newly purchased office chairs mainly stems from the materials and manufacturing processes of the chairs themselves, such as volatile organic compounds contained in the glues and coatings used. The sources of the odor are diverse, including formaldehyde, benzene series compounds, TVOC (Total Volatile Organic Compounds), and natural wood volatiles. Formaldehyde primarily comes from the urea-formaldehyde resin glue used in artificial wood panels, with a release period of up to 3 to 15 years; benzene series compounds mainly originate from paints and coatings, which can cause dizziness and nausea; TVOC has a wide range of sources and can lead to immune system disorders; natural wood volatiles, such as the pine resin smell from pine wood, are generally harmless.

To address the issue of strong odor, the following methods can be employed:

• Ventilation: Place the chairs in a well-ventilated area to allow indoor air circulation, which helps in the volatilization of volatile organic compounds. The ventilation time can be determined based on the specific situation. Generally, the odor will significantly diminish after about a week of ventilation. For solid wood furniture, normal ventilation for 3 to 6 months can basically reduce the formaldehyde concentration to a safe level; for panel furniture, continuous ventilation can usually reduce the formaldehyde concentration in indoor air to a safe usage standard within 3 to 6 months.
• Activated Carbon Adsorption: Place activated carbon near the chairs. Activated carbon can adsorb organic compounds in the air. When using activated carbon, pay attention to the replacement cycle, generally replacing it every 1 to 2 months.
• Plant Absorption: Some plants, such as cacti, spider plants, aloe vera, clivia, cycads, and chrysanthemums, have the ability to absorb harmful substances like formaldehyde and can purify the air to a certain extent, assisting in odor removal. However, plant absorption of formaldehyde only plays a supplementary role.
• Other Methods: You can place tea leaves residue, pomelo peels, onion slices, pineapple chunks, etc., in the office area or fumigate the entire room with white vinegar. However, these methods only serve to mask the odor and have limited effectiveness in absorbing harmful substances like formaldehyde in the air. They can be used for short-term improvement of indoor odor but should be combined with other effective odor removal methods. You can also use air purifiers with formaldehyde and odor removal functions, which remove harmful substances and odors from the air through filtration and adsorption principles. When selecting one, pay attention to parameters such as its purification effect and applicable area.

If, after contact with new office chairs, symptoms such as eye irritation, dryness, tearing, throat itchiness, pain, coughing, dizziness, headaches, skin allergies, or chest tightness occur, and these symptoms subside after leaving the environment, this strongly suggests the possibility of excessive harmful gases (such as formaldehyde and TVOC). Ultimately, safety should be determined based on professional testing results.