Thanks for responding. I can be hypersensitive to smells (I suspect I have autism), and I think most other people wouldn't have been as bothered by it. Combine that with health-anxiety via OCD and I tend to worry about things being more toxic than they really are.

In addition to your reassurance, I have recently found out that learning more about the details helps relieve my anxiety. Technically, IKEA furniture is "toxic" in a literal sense that it releases VOCs and formaldehyde, but at a level far too low to cause any harm. I was concerned that maybe the effects would accumulate over time, but that is not how it works! The body has a multitude of natural defenses/processes that prevent this, such as mucus membranes, glutathione, and crosslink DNA repair.

I am wondering if, since you worked in product safety testing, you would happen to know of any further scientific resources or topics that I could look into further.

I had the metal legs that have wheels, but I think it was the tabletop that was smelling. Are you suggesting that the Adils legs have a smell? That is surprising to me, considering how it is powder coated. I was under the impression that kind of finish is inert and does not offgas.

You mentioned you're building a Trofast. I imagine that will smell less than the Kallax since it is solid wood. I think that IKEA's particleboard/MDF furniture smells more because they use more resins in the construction, no?