Technical Bulletin No. 0700: A Preliminary Investigation of Releases of Volatile Organic Compounds from Wood Residual Storage Piles

Factors with the potential to affect the release of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from wood storage piles were identified from a literature review. The review indicated these factors are wood species, history of logs (tree age, harvest time, harvest location, and storage), age of material, temperatures and air convection within the pile, and ambient temperature and humidity. Wood species, history of logs, the time elapsed from wood harvest to chipping, and length of time in storage all influence the level of potentially volatile organic compounds present in the stored material, which in turn affects releases of these compounds.