The emission of formic and acetic acid from differently prepared particleboards was determined using the flask method technique. The boards were made from sap- and heartwoods of Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga Menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) using trees of various ages and from two different sites. The boards were bonded with alkaline phenolic resins (PF-resins) and tannin formaldehyde resins (TF-resins) as well as with acid curing melamine urea phenol formaldehyde resins (MUFF-resins) and adhesives based on polymers of diphenylmethandiisocyanates (PMDI). The results reveal that the emission of volatile acids is decisively controlled by the pH-value of the water extractives of the boards as well as by their buffering capacity. At high pH-value the emission of formic acids (pka = 3,7) is much more suppressed due to the strong formation of formate ions than in case of acetic acid (pka = 4,8). Moreover, the results indicate that the emission of acetic acid from PF-bonded and TF-bonded boards is much higher than that from MUPF- and PMDI-bonded boards. This fact has been attributed to the degradation of acetyl groups in wood by alkali and is in conformity with previous published results. The difference in the emission of formic and acetic acids from PF- and TF-boards is more pronounced than in MUPF- and PMDI-boards due to the stronger shift in the equilibrium state by alkali towards the formate ions. The age of the trees seems to have, if any, no significant influence on the release of volatile acids; however sapwood emits generally less formic and acetic acid compared to heartwood. The results are of high significance, as recently environmental issues associated with emission of the volatile organic compounds (VOC) from wood-based panels came under scrutiny.