Formaldehyde.

By: Pedro and Phavady

What is it? Formaldehyde is a colorless, toxic, potentially

carcinogenic, flammable, strong-smelling chemical Used in building materials and to produce many

household products It is in pressed-wood products, such as:

Particleboard, plywood, and fiberboard; glues and adhesives; permanent-press fabrics; & paper product coatings

Formaldehyde also occurs naturally in the environment

It is produced in small amounts by most living organisms as part of normal metabolic processes

What happens when it enters the environment?

Formaldehyde is normally present in both parts indoor and outdoor air at low levels, usually less than 0.03 parts of formaldehyde per million parts of air.

Why are they needed?

During the 1970s, formaldehyde was been used a lot in household products

Other potential indoor sources of formaldehyde include:

Stoves Wood-burning stoves Kerosene heaters

How can we be exposed to the chemical?

When formaldehyde is present in the air at levels exceeding 0.1 ppm, some individuals may experience adverse effects such as

Watery eyes Burning sensations in eyes, nose, & throat Coughing Wheezing Nausea Skin irritation

Some people are very sensitive to formaldehyde

How does it affect human health?

Formaldehyde exposure are well known, less is known about its potential long-term health effects

Formaldehyde exposure could cause cancer in humans

Is there a medical test to show whether someone has been exposed to

formaldehyde?

No

At the present time, there are no reliable tests to determine exposure to formaldehyde

What kind of recommendations has the federal government made to protect

human health?

Federal OSHA Standards

1987 - from 3 ppm to 1 ppm

May 1992 - standard was amended to 0.75ppm

On July 7, 2010, President Obama signed the Formaldehyde Standards for Composite Wood Products Act into law

Cohort Study

A cohort is a group of people who may vary in

their exposure to a particular factor, such as

formaldehyde, and are followed over time to

see whether they develop

a disease.

Cohort Study11,039 textile workers studied by the National

Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

(NIOSH)

(NIOSH) found an association between the

duration of exposure to formaldehyde and

leukemia deaths

A cohort study of 14,014 British industry

workers found no association between

formaldehyde exposure and leukemia deaths

Work Cited

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/formaldehyde

http://www.epa.gov/iaq/formalde.html

http://www.epa.gov/opptintr/chemtest/formaldehyde/

http://www.epa.gov/iris/subst/0419.htm

http://healthvermont.gov/enviro/indoor_air/Formaldehyde.aspx#three