Recently, my husband and I attended an all-breed dog show and our ring time made it necessary for us to get a motel room the night before. Because we would not arrive until 11:00 PM and were checking out at around 6:30AM, I reserved a room at a budget hotel chain. It was only for 6 or 7 hours so why spend the extra money on a higher priced hotel room. It was here that I had growing concerns on an issue that I do not believe has even crossed people's minds: formaldehyde emissions from substandard flooring and furniture in budget motel accommodations.
This is a credible concern, especially for dog show exhibitors who frequently stay overnight in motels while traveling to distant dog shows. Although gasoline costs have lessened dramatically from several years back, many people try to save their hard-earned money and typically, the motel accommodation is the largest expense for dog show clusters or specialties. So, it is both sensible and natural that people choose a budget motel as inevitably, they spend most of the day at the dog show anyway and are only in their rooms in the evening. This budget motel we overnighted briefly in was fully booked with dog show exhibitors as is usually the case for many of the economical chains for weekend dog shows.
Everyone saves money, but, at what cost?
Here is the concern. Economical motel rooms commonly contain substandard quality furniture and on average, are usually smaller in size than mid-range hotels. Why does this matter? Formaldehyde emissions: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has classified formaldehyde as a known human carcinogen. Many budget motel rooms are small and due to the lack of square footage, they have less ventilation. These tight quarters, combined with the low-grade furniture made of composite wood products and laminated flooring may have higher emissions of this colorless, flammable gas. Breathing in the air that has off-gassed formaldehyde can have adverse health effects. Even more, formaldehyde can and will continue off-gassing, polluting the indoor air for great lengths of time, though for how long is hotly disputed between the experts. Some say years, some say indefinitely, some say shorter durations.
According to the EPA: Formaldehyde is found in resins used in the manufacture of composite wood products (i.e., hardwood plywood, particleboard, and medium-density fiberboard). It is found in building materials and insulation and products such as glues, permanent press fabrics, paints and coatings, lacquers and finishes, and paper products, to name a few. Keep in mind that much economical furniture is composite products with veneer or laminate, all held together with added formaldehyde based glues then pressed together. Most people watched or had heard about the 60 Minutes segment that investigated a national flooring company, Lumber Liquidators. The investigators found that Lumber Liquidators' Chinese-made laminate flooring contained amounts of toxic formaldehyde that did not meet health and safety standards, in accordance with the California Air Resources Board (CARB) regulation. Currently, this is the only regulation in the country that reduces public exposure to formaldehyde through the establishment of strict emission performance standards.
How does this affect us? Many dog shows are held throughout the colder seasons, and people turn on the heat in their hotel room. According to the EPA, the rate at which formaldehyde is released is accelerated by heat and may also depend somewhat on the humidity level. The EPA recommends that people use air conditioning to control or reduce humidity which can help reduce formaldehyde emissions. They also recommend increasing ventilation which can be impossible in many motel accommodations. However, even with the air conditioning unit running, especially in such a tight quarters, this only helps to reduce, not eliminate the off-gassing. As we sleep, we breathe in this colorless gas in very close proximity to and parallel with the bed frame furniture, sometimes just inches away. Notably, we are also elevated just a few feet off the laminated floor. Formaldehyde causes irritation of the skin, eyes, nose, and throat and can also cause symptoms such as headaches, fatigue, and dizziness. Moreover, high levels of exposure may cause some types of cancers.
Most likely many people are not aware of the exposures. It just dawned on me this past weekend. What to do about it? Well, there are no hotel industry guidelines that I can find on the subject, except for the American Hotel & Lodging Association's sustainable greening guidelines. But, we all know that green hotels are a significant minority and very hard to find. We may very well be stuck between a rock and a hard place. For those exhibitors who are frequent motel guests, if possible, staying in larger deluxe accommodations may be helpful. Also, using the air conditioner regardless of the season can decrease humidity in the room, although panting dogs will elevate this level back up again. I am not an environmental air quality expert but if you begin to experience symptoms of headaches, sinus and eye irritations you should alert hotel management and, if possible, be moved to another room. Keep in mind that even deluxe hotels may be newly furnished or had recently undergone renovations. If so, the room's renovations and furniture initially will contain higher emissions of formaldehyde via off-gassing, unless they were refurbished with organic wood furniture or carpeting, which is highly unlikely. Inquire when making reservations if a the motel or hotel has recently undergone restorations or improvements. You might base your decision then on the quality level of the hotel and the room size, such as a suite with greater square footage allowing for greater ventilation, or that has windows that can open.
Just know that the EPA currently has no national standards in place for formaldehyde in composite wood products. They are supposedly reviewing regulations. So, at present, there are no safeguards for your respiratory health while staying in any accommodations, unless of course, one resides in California.