Formaldehyde

CAS Number: 50-00-0

SERIOUS
health hazard

MODERATE
health hazard

FEW OR NO
health hazards

0 79

80 89

90 100

45

Sources of exposure:

Personal care

Industrial use

Home goods, building materials, arts & crafts, textiles, cigarette smoke

Description:

Formaldehyde is a volatile aldehyde. While it may be listed as an ingredient in some personal care products, it is more commonly present due to formaldehyde-releasing preservatives. Formaldehyde is used in manufactured wood products, resins, and wrinkle-resistant or permanent press fabrics.

Health concerns:

Cancer

Known or suspected to increase cancer risk in humans.

Genotoxicity

May cause mutations or damage DNA in cells.

Neurotoxicity

May impact brain function or development.

Immunotoxicity & Allergens

May impact immune system function or cause allergic reactions.

Respiratory Toxicity & Asthmagens

May damage the lungs or trigger asthma.

Irritant

May cause skin, eye, or respiratory irritation.

Ecotoxicity

May be toxic to ecosystems and wildlife.

Banned/restricted lists:

European Commission Annex II prohibited substances. Government of Canada. List of Ingredients that are Restricted for Use in Cosmetic Products.

References

HOW MILLION MARKER SCORES CHEMICALS

Million Marker's Ingredient Hazard Scoring uses multiple chemical databases and a science-backed scoring system to compute hazard scores for thousands of chemicals found in consumer products and listed on ingredient labels.

We identified key chemicals based on a database compiling dozens of authoritative sources, screening tools, and QSAR models.

Hazard scores within 11 different health categories (carcinogens, endocrine disruptors, reproductive toxicants, developmental toxicants, genotoxicity, neurotoxicity, organ system toxicity, immunotoxicity, respiratory toxicity, skin/eye/respiratory irritants, and ecotoxicity).

They are weighted based on several factors, including strength of evidence for adverse impacts in humans, severity, and potential contamination.