🌬️ How Can Formaldehyde and Other Harmful Substances Be Effectively Removed?

With current technology, it’s nearly impossible to eliminate formaldehyde while also preventing wood from decaying—especially without using synthetic adhesives. These two conditions simply cannot coexist.

Most board materials available on the market contain formaldehyde or other chemical compounds, which are deeply embedded in the wood.
Currently, no product or technology can fully extract formaldehyde from within the boards.
That’s why, after renovation, formaldehyde continues to off-gas indoors for years.

Since we can’t eliminate the root cause, the best we can do is manage the symptoms.
Here are some commonly used methods:

1. 🌿 Bamboo Charcoal

• What is it?
  Bamboo charcoal is a type of activated carbon made from bamboo.
• Effectiveness:
  Known for deodorizing and purifying air due to its porous structure, which enhances adsorption.
  However, it becomes saturated quickly—within about 8 hours—and loses its effectiveness.
  Once saturated, it may even re-release the absorbed pollutants, causing secondary contamination.
• Usage:
  Can be ground into powder and mixed into paint, or placed directly in indoor spaces.
  To purify a room of 8 pings (~26.4 m²), you’d need 30 kg of bamboo charcoal, leaving little space for anything else.
• Lifespan:
  Short. Once saturated, it stops working and may cause secondary pollution.

2. 🦐 Chitosan

• What is it?
  A purified animal fiber derived from shrimp and crab shells, after removing proteins and calcium.
• Effectiveness:
  Said to absorb formaldehyde and other volatile gases, but like all adsorbents, it becomes ineffective once saturated.
• Usage:
  Can be ground into powder and mixed into paint or sprayed directly.
  However, spraying chitosan makes wood surfaces harder to process, and on ceilings, it may cause visible light-shadow distortion due to particle reflection.
• Lifespan:
  Limited. Once saturated, it stops working and may re-release pollutants.

3. ⚗️ Formaldehyde Neutralizer

• What is it?
  A chemical agent developed in mainland China, often used by developers to meet indoor air quality standards before handing over properties.
  Essentially, it’s a quick-fix solution designed to “cheat” the system.
• Effectiveness:
  Appears to neutralize formaldehyde, but actually uses reactive chemicals that may contain environmental hormones and other harmful substances.
  These can negatively affect children’s endocrine systems.
  Also, formaldehyde is just one of many indoor toxins—neutralizing it alone doesn’t solve the broader problem.
• Usage:
  Sprayed directly onto indoor surfaces—often indiscriminately.
• Lifespan:
  Short-term. Once the chemical reaction ends, the effect disappears.

4. 💡 Photocatalyst

• What is it?
  A substance that decomposes organic compounds when exposed to light.
  Through oxidation-reduction reactions, it can break down formaldehyde, toluene, bacteria, viruses, mold, and other harmful substances.
• Effectiveness:
  Highly effective.
  It works non-selectively on all organic pollutants and does not cause microbial resistance.
  Since it only acts on surfaces and doesn’t release harmful substances into the air, it’s considered safe and environmentally friendly.
• Advanced Technology:
  While traditional photocatalysts face limitations in light responsiveness, ARC-FLASH photocatalyst technology allows activation under regular light (not just UV), and can be permanently fixed to surfaces.
• Usage:
  Can be sprayed over large areas—walls, ceilings, cabinets—to continuously decompose airborne formaldehyde and other toxins.
• Lifespan:
  Long-term.
  As long as the coating remains intact, the photocatalyst continues to function indefinitely, breaking down harmful substances in the air.