Landmark Formaldehyde Regulation Now Under Fire: But How Dangerous Is It?
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A decade ago, emergency trailers for victims of Hurricane Katrina caused burning eyes, sore throats, and other serious injuries due to formaldehyde fumes that were leaking into the air of the very structures meant to protect them.
Since the incident, the Environmental Protection Agency has been working on a landmark federal health standard that would increase regulations on how much formaldehyde exposure is okay in everything from our clothing to our homes (Formaldehyde is commonly used as an ingredient in wood glue in furniture and flooring.)
Now, the effort is making news because of pushback on the proposed regulations from furniture makers, various politicians, and even the Chinese government. According to reports, the EPA may relax its proposed regulations as a result, easing key testing requirements before it releases the landmark federal health standard.
No doubt you’ve heard that formaldehyde is bad for your health, but how bad is it, exactly?
Formaldehyde exposure in the air can do everything from make your eyes water to cause cancer, says toxicology expert Bernard Goldstein, M.D., an emeritus professor in the University of Pittsburgh’s department of environmental and occupational health. “It produces a lot of problems in our airways,” he explains to Yahoo Health. “It’s a fierce irritant.”
Related: Formaldehyde Could Be Lurking In Your Floors
Formaldehyde’s deadly potential isn’t a secret. It’s been classified as a known human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer and as a probable human carcinogen by the EPA, and research has repeatedly found a link between formaldehyde exposure and cancer.
One study published in The American Journal of Cancer Research discovered that formaldehyde increases squamous cell carcinomas in rats. A 2003 study found that formaldehyde exposure may cause leukemia, and another study published in 2009 found a possible link between formaldehyde exposure and Hodgkin’s lymphoma and multiple myeloma, a cancer that forms in white blood cells.
The problem with formaldehyde depends on the level of exposure, and some is okay, says Andrew Maynard, PhD, a professor of environmental health science at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. In fact, you’re probably breathing in a little formaldehyde right now. “Formaldehyde is all around us in low levels, and our bodies naturally produce it,” he tells Yahoo Health. A range of fruits and vegetables like bananas, grapes, potatoes, and cauliflower even produce it.
Related: Hidden High Levels Of Cancer Causing Formaldehyde Found in E-Cigarettes
But the more serious health risks occur when formaldehyde is released in concentrated amounts in small spaces with poor ventilation. According to Goldstein, cheaper building materials like plywood and laminates are often the culprits, along with the glue used to hold them together. Furniture that is carelessly glued together and even DIY home projects, which typically involve cheaper materials, are particularly at risk for increased formaldehyde exposure, he says.
While you’d probably know if you were exposed to higher concentrations of formaldehyde — typically your eyes would burn and you’d start coughing —Goldstein says people have a broad range of sensitivity to it.
Maynard stresses, though, that you’d probably know quickly if you were around a high concentration of formaldehyde: “If you’re exposed to levels that are going to cause problems, you’ll feel uncomfortable.”
Worried about formaldehyde levels in your home? Several kits are for sale online that can test your indoor air quality and tell you whether you’re in danger.
As for the new regulations, the EPA tells Yahoo Health that they plan to finalize the proposed standards before the end of the year.
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