It looks like MDF is safe to compost

[skippy]

While searching for dust foot designs for the Mechmate I came across this

Potential Recycling of Medium Density Fiberboard

The pilot study demonstrated three key points:
- The UF resin decomposed to harmless end products (i.e., carbon dioxide, ammonium, and water).

- Based on air samples collected from above the experimental field plots, there was no evidence of formaldehyde released in the air during MDF decomposition.

- The presence of MDF, in addition to normal soil concentrations of nitrogen, increased the uptake of nitrogen, the corn plants’ chlorophyll production, and possibly resulted in an increased corn yield.

Here is the full article
fiberboard.pdf (http://www.epa.gov/oswer/docs/iwg/fiberboard.pdf)

Regards

skippy

[Richards]

Several years ago, when I was cutting about 100 sheets of MDF per week, I used the "sawdust" as compost. My garden spot is 85 feet by 45 feet with 16 growboxes. I added 2 inches of MDF sawdust to two of the growboxes and then tilled that in to a depth of 6 inches, just like I do with other organic compost.

Those two growboxes were nearly sterile. I had about 25% of expected plant growth. Those plants that grew were weak and stunted.

I have used sawdust from pine and oak in the grow boxes with no problem, but MDF didn't work for me.

My normal practice was to put 2 inches of rotted leaves or 2 inches of manure from the nearby equestrian park (two 10-ton dump truck loads) on the grow boxes. That kind of compost and manure worked perfectly. I still added 16-16-8 fertilizer weekly (one quart per 5 foot x 45 foot box and proportionally less on the smaller "square foot" boxes).

[sailfl]

Doesn't MDF have a lot of formaldehyde in it? That is most likely why things did not grow very well. Plus it is associated with Cancer. I would send it to the dump!

It may not be released in the air but it is still in the soil which is not good.

[Lord Maximus]

MDF is loaded with formaldehyde, glues, all sorts of synthetic cancerous substances. Your garden is now a toxic waste dump that you would have to dig a few feet of dirt out of and replace with fresh dirt if you want to grow anything you can eat. Also, MDF is made from some recycled wood so you don't really know what's in it.

[Hornman]

Doesn't MDF have a lot of formaldehyde in it? That is most likely why things did not grow very well. Plus it is associated with Cancer. I would send it to the dump!

It may not be released in the air but it is still in the soil which is not good.

Current formaldehyde specs are one tenth of one percent by weight as it leaves the mill. By the time it becomes sawdust the level is less.

I was taught that when composting it is necessary to combine "browns" and "greens" to make sure the ratios of carbon and nitrogen are balanced. If straight MDF dust was tilled in, then his results were exactly what I would expect. Sawdust is famous for leaching nitrogen from the soil.

Other than the formaldehyde there are no other carcinogens in MDF. Read the MSDS's.

[Surfcnc]

http://scholar.google.com.au/scholar?q=wood+dust+cancer&btnG=&hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5

Ross

[Hornman]

Yes, wood dust is a suspected carcinogen, in the respiratory track. In the compost pile or garden it is a natural, beneficial material if handled correctly. Everyone should read Bill Peltz's article on dust collection to become aware of the dangers of airborn dust, but that is off topic for this thread.