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(NaturalNews) Many consumers may not be aware that formaldehyde, a toxin and carcinogen commonly used in the embalming process, is also one of the most common ingredients in many materials that make up a normal home. As a result, many household items -- from furniture to bed sheets -- emit formaldehyde fumes that are harmful to the health of families and children.
Formaldehyde may be best known for its use as a tissue preservative, such as in the preservation of animals for dissection in schools. It is the chemical's very toxic nature that makes it such an effective preservative: it quickly kills bacteria or fungi that might otherwise begin the process of decomposition. But formaldehyde is also an ingredient in a wide variety of resins used to make permanent adhesives for plywood and carpeting, causing it to be present in furniture and building materials (particularly those made with pressed wood products) and certain molded plastics.
Formaldehyde resins are used to make textiles crease-resistant and can be found in everything from curtains to sheets and clothing. These resins are also used in dishwashing liquids, fabric softeners, carpet cleaners, glues, cardboard and paper products (including wallpaper) and certain latex paints. They are also used in products intended to be used on the body, such as cosmetics (including nail polish and nail hardener) and paper products (facial tissues, napkins and paper towels).
All of these products outgas small quantities of formaldehyde, as do certain insulating foams that are no longer in use in new home construction but that may be present in older homes. Burning of most materials also releases formaldehyde, so fireplaces, wood stoves and smoking can also be a source of indoor formaldehyde.
All buildings are contaminated with formaldehydeAccording to Canada's health agency, Health Canada, all buildings in Canada (and presumably the industrialized world) contain low levels of formaldehyde. The agency conducted a study in 2002 and 2003 to measure levels of the contaminant in homes in Ottawa and Prince Edward Island, and found them to vary between 2 and 81 parts per billion (ppb).
Formaldehyde is highly toxic in high concentrations -- such as those that might result from a workplace accident -- and carcinogenic in smaller doses. Even in doses below those considered safe for cancer risk, the chemical is still a potent irritant and allergen that can lead to serious health problems.
In toxic concentrations (25,000 ppb or higher), formaldehyde can severely irritate the upper respiratory tract, potentially leading to a swelling or fluid accumulation in the lungs known as pulmonary edema. These symptoms may not manifest until hours after exposure, but can be potentially fatal due to oxygen deprivation. This is not a hazard in normal household exposure, but can be a risk for workers in factories or other workplaces that use formaldehyde.
Cancer and asthmaFormaldehyde has been shown to cause cancer of the nasal tract in humans and laboratory animals and the International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies the substance as a carcinogen (although the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) stops short of this, saying only that such an effect is "probable"). According to Health Canada, carcinogenic effects have been detected only at concentrations of thousands of parts per billion, but the International Labor Organization has set 300 ppb as the maximum safe exposure at any given time.
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Friday, May 09, 2008
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