Soy gets sticky in new glue
Have you ever really thought about adhesives? (I know I never had!) Not craft glue for art projects, but the heavy-duty stuff used to hold wood furniture together. Like most glues, the average wood adhesive contains formaldehyde-emitting petroleum, which has been shown to cause water eyes, plus nose, mouth, and throat irritation, as may be related to cancer. This isn’t stuff you want to have in your house, to be sure, and a healthier solution may be on the horizon: Say hello to soy!
From food to housing insulation, people have been using soy for centuries. Now, soy flour is being used in wood glue, too. The new sticky soy stuff works just as well as it’s petroleum-based counterparts, say scientists at the USDA, who have been testing the new formula under a variety of conditions. Currently, soy glue for wood makes up only 5 percent of the wood adhesive market, but this number could rise to nearly 20 percent by 2014, says the United Soy Board.
-Jillian, KIWI intern
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