Formaldehyde in Building Materials

Formaldehyde and Building Materials 

What is Formaldehyde?

Formaldehyde is a colorless, reactive, strong-smelling gas at room temperature. It is one chemical in a large family of chemical compounds called volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The term volatile means that the compounds vaporize or become a gas at room temperature.  Formaldehyde can be manufactured as a liquid (formalin) or a solid (paraformaldehyde).  Formaldehyde is an important industrial chemical used to make other chemicals and different types of products, such as: home furnishings, household cleaners, paints, textiles, landscape and yard products, medicinal and personal care products, and pesticides.  Formaldehyde can be released into the air (off-gas) from materials and products made with it. Formaldehyde can also be released into the air by automobiles, cigarettes, and burning wood, kerosene or natural gas. It is also a naturally occurring substance.

Why Should You Be Concerned?

Formaldehyde exposure may potentially cause a variety of symptoms and adverse health effects, such as eye, nose, throat, and skin irritation, coughing, wheezing, and allergic reactions. Long-term exposure to high levels of formaldehyde has been associated with cancer in humans and laboratory animals. Formaldehyde can affect people differently. Some people are very sensitive to formaldehyde at a certain level while others may not have any noticeable reaction to the same level.

Formaldehyde is just one of several gases present indoors that may cause adverse health effects and illnesses. Many other gases, as well as respiratory illnesses (e.g., colds and the flu), can cause similar symptoms to those caused by formaldehyde.

What Levels of Formaldehyde Are Present in the Environment?

Formaldehyde is normally present at low levels, usually less than 0.03 parts per million (ppm), in both outdoor and indoor air. The outdoor air in rural areas has lower concentrations while urban areas have higher concentrations (due to sources such as automobile exhaust). Residences or offices that contain products that release formaldehyde into the air can have levels greater than 0.03 ppm.

What Levels of Formaldehyde Are Considered Safe? 

According to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), the most common symptoms of formaldehyde exposure occur in air concentrations of about 0.4 to 3.0 ppm.  Unfortunately, there is little agreement on what level is safe for individuals with respiratory conditions that enhance sensitivity to formaldehyde such as asthma, emphysema or allergies.  Some sensitive individuals have reported acute symptoms as low as 0.1 ppm.  There is uncertainty regarding what levels of exposure are safe in regards to cancer risk.  Published inhalation exposure levels of concern range from 20 ppm (levels considered to be immediately dangerous to life and health or IDLH by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) to 0.008 ppm (chronic minimal risk level or MRL for exposure at greater than a year of exposure as calculated by ATSDR).   

What Affects Formaldehyde Levels in Indoor Air?

Formaldehyde levels in indoor air can vary depending on temperature, humidity, and air exchange rate within the indoor space. In addition, several studies have shown that, in the presence of ozone, formaldehyde levels increase; therefore, the outdoor and indoor ozone levels are also relevant. Formaldehyde levels in a residence may change with the season, day-to-day, and day-to-night. Levels may be high on a hot and humid day and low on a cool, dry day.  Understanding these factors is important when one is considering measuring formaldehyde levels.

What are Some of the Symptoms and Potential Adverse Health Effects of Formaldehyde Exposure?

Formaldehyde exposure can cause a variety of symptoms and potential adverse health effects. A person’s ability to smell a chemical odor, such as formaldehyde, does not always mean that the levels of the chemical are of concern or will cause an adverse health effect. Therefore, some people can smell formaldehyde before being adversely affected by it.  See table on page 5 of CSPC’s Update on Formaldehyde document (http://www.cpsc.gov/PageFiles/121919/AN%20UPDATE%20ON%20FORMALDEHYDE%20final%200113.pdf).

Is There a Medical Test to Show Whether I've Been Exposed to Formaldehyde?

Formaldehyde cannot be reliably measured in blood, urine, or body tissues following exposure. Formaldehyde is produced in the body and would be present as a normal constituent in body tissues.

Should You Test for Formaldehyde?

It is generally not recommended to test for formaldehyde unless there are specific health symptoms that indicate a possible formaldehyde exposure.  For example, if you become ill following installation of a product that has been manufactured with formaldehyde, you should consult a physician to determine whether or not your symptoms might relate to indoor air quality problems. If your physician believes that you may be sensitive to formaldehyde, you may want to have the levels of formaldehyde measured.  There are three different ways to measure formaldehyde in indoor air.

1. Indoor air professional
2. Consumer sampling kits
3. Consumer Sampling and Analysis Kits

There is generally no need to test a particular home product for formaldehyde until it is determined that that the indoor concentrations are contributing to health symptoms.  For a detailed discussion on the advantages, disadvantages and limitations of testing review page 9 and 10 of the CPSC Update on Formaldehyde document Publication 725, 2013 Revision (http://www.cpsc.gov/PageFiles/121919/AN%20UPDATE%20ON%20FORMALDEHYDE%20final%200113.pdf). 

Who Takes Consumer Complaints in Florida? 

Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services - 1-800-HELP-FLA
http://www.freshfromflorida.com/Divisions-Offices/Consumer-Services/Consumer-Resources/Consumer-Protection/File-a-Complaint

Florida Office of the Attorney General - 1-866-966-7226 (fraud hotline)
File a Complaint or Inquiry Online
http://myfloridalegal.com/pages.nsf/Main/E3EB45228E9229DD85257B05006E32EC

To Whom Can I Report an Unsafe Consumer Product or an Injury/Incident Related to a Consumer Product?

US Consumer Product Safety Commission -1-800-638-2772
https://www.saferproducts.gov/CPSRMSPublic/Incidents/ReportIncident.aspx

Where Can I Locate Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) or Industrial Hygiene (IH) Consultants?

Currently, there are no state or federal certification programs for IAQ or IH professionals except for professionals dealing with radon (Florida Department of Health), mold or asbestos (Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation), and lead-based paint (US Environmental Protection Agency).

Florida Indoor Air Quality Business Listing
https://www.floridahealth.gov/environmental-health/indoor-air-quality/_documents/iaqbusinesses.pdf  

American Industrial Hygiene Association’s Consultant Listing
https://www.aiha.org/about-ih/Pages/Find-an-Industrial-Hygienist.aspx

American Board of Industrial Hygiene (ABIH)
Public Roster – Persons Certified by ABIH
http://www.abih.org/about-abih/public-roster

Indoor Air Quality Association (IAQA)
http://www.iaqa.org/  

American Council for Accredited Certification (ACAC)
Search the ACAC Certificant Database
http://www.acac.org/find/database.aspx