Formaldehyde

Product Group : Aldehyde

Sources of Exposure : 

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Description : 

Formaldehyde is a colorless, flammable gas at room temperature and has a strong odor. Formaldehyde and formaldehyde-releasing substances (quaternium‐15, imidazolidinyl urea, diazolidinyl urea, DMDM hydantoin and 2‐bromo‐2‐nitropropane‐1,3‐diol) are used as antimicrobial preservatives in personal care products.

Sources of Exposure: Resins used in the manufacture of composite wood products (i.e., hardwood plywood, particleboard and medium-density fiberboard); building materials and insulation; household products (such as glues, permanent press fabrics, paints and coatings, lacquers and finishes, and paper products); preservatives used in some medicines, cosmetics and other consumer products such as dishwashing liquids and fabric softeners; fertilizers and pesticides. It is a byproduct of combustion and certain other natural processes, and so is also found in emissions from un-vented, fuel burning appliances, like gas stoves or kerosene space heaters, and cigarette smoke.

Health Impacts: The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies formaldehyde as carcinogenic to humans and concluded that there is evidence that formaldehyde causes nasopharyngeal cancer. There is also strong evidence for leukemia and limited evidence for sinonasal cancer. National Cancer Institute (NCI) investigators have concluded that exposure to formaldehyde may cause leukemia, particularly myeloid leukemia, in humans.

Health Concerns 

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Contaminants:

Banned/restricted lists:

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