# AN UPDATE ON



# FORMALDEHYDE

1997 REVISION

U.S. CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION

W ASHINGTON , DC 20207What is Formaldehyde? Formaldehyde is an important industrial chemical used to make other c hemicals, b uilding materials, and household products. It is one of the larg e family of chemical compounds called volatile or g anic compounds or ‘VOCs’. T he term volatile means that the compounds v a poriz e, tha t is, become a gas, at normal room temper a tures. Formaldehyde ser v es many purposes in products. It is used as a part of:

* the glue or adhesi v e in pressed wood products (particleboar d, hardw ood plywood , and medium density fiberboard (MDF));

* preservati v es in some paints, coatings, and cosmetics;

* the coating that pr o vides permanent press quality to f abrics and dr a peries;

* the finish used to coat paper products; and

* certain insulation materials (urea-formaldehyde foam and fiberglass insulation). Formaldehyde is released into the air by burning wood , k erosene or natural gas, b y automobiles, and by cigarettes. Formaldehyde can offg as from materials made with it. It is also a naturally occur ring sub

stance .

2The U.S. Consumer Safety Commission has produced this booklet to tell you about formaldehyde found in the indoor ai r. This booklet tells y ou where you may come in contact with formaldehyde , how it may a f

fect your health , and how you might reduce your exposure to it. Why Shoul d Y ou Be Concerned? Formaldehyde is a colorless , strong-smelling gas
. W hen present in the air at le v els abov e 0.1 ppm (parts in a million parts of air) , it can cause w a tery e yes , b urning sensations in the eyes , nose and throat , nausea, coughin g , c hest tightness , wheezin g , skin rashes , and alle r gic reactions. It also has been obse r v ed to cause cancer in scientific studies using labo r a tory animals and may cause cancer in humans
. Typical exposures to humans are much l o w er; thus any risk of causing cancer is beli e v ed to be small at the l ev el at which humans are exposed
. Formaldehyde can affect people di f ferentl y . Some people are very sen

sitiv e to formaldehyde while others may not h a ve any notice a ble reaction to the same le v el. P ersons ha v e de v eloped allergic reactions (alle r gic skin disease and h i v es) to formaldehyde through skin contact with solutions of formaldehyde or du r a ble-press clothing containing formaldehyd e . Others have d e v eloped asthmatic reactions and skin rashes from expo

sure to formaldehyd e . F ormaldehyde is just one of se v eral gases present indoors that m a y cause illnesses. Many of these gases , as well as colds and flu , cause similar symptoms.

3What Levels of Formaldehyde Are Normal? Formaldehyde is normally present at low lev els, usually less than 0.03 ppm, in both outdoor and indoor air. T he outdoor air in rural areas has lo w er concentr a tions while urban areas ha v e higher concentr a

tions. Residences or of

f ices that contain products that release formaldehyde to the air can ha

v e formaldehyde le v els of g r eater than 0.03 ppm. Products that may add formaldehyde to the air include particleboard used as flooring underlayment, shelving , furniture and cabinets; MDF in cabinets and furniture; har dw ood plywood wall panels, and ureaf ormaldehyde foam used as insulation. As formaldehyde le v els increase , illness or discomfort is more likely to occur and may be more serious.
Ef f orts ha v e been made by both the g ov ernment and industry to reduce e xposure to formaldehyde. CPSC voted to ban urea-formaldehyde f oam insulation in 1982. T hat ban was o v er-turned in the courts, b ut this action g r eatly reduced the residential use of the insulation product. CPSC, the Department of Housing and Urban Dev elopment (HUD) and other federal ag encies ha v e historically wor k ed with the pressed w ood industry to further reduce the release of the chemical from their products. A 1985 HUD r e gulation co v ering the use of pressed wood products in manufactured housing was designed to ensure that indoor le v els are below 0.4 ppm. Ho wev er, it would be unrealistic to expect to completely remo v e formaldehyde from the air. Some persons who are extremely sensiti v e to formaldehyde may need to reduce or stop using these products.

4What Affects Formaldehyde Levels? F ormaldehyde le v els in the indoor air depend mainly on what is releas

ing the formaldehyde (the source), the temper atur e, the humidity , and the air exchange r a te (the amount of outdoor air entering or leaving the indoor area). Increasing the flow of outdoor air to the inside decreases the formaldehyde le v els. Decreasing this flow of outdoor air by seal

ing the residence or of f

ice increases the formaldehyde le v el in the indoor air
. As the temper a

ture rises, more formaldehyde is emitted from the prod

uct. T he r ev erse is also true; less formaldehyde is emitted at lo w er temper a tur e . Humidity also af f ects the release of formaldehyde from the product. As humidity rises more formaldehyde is released
. The formaldehyde le v els in a residence change with the season and from day-to-day and day-to-night. Lev els may be high on a hot and humid day and low on a cool, dry da y . Understanding these factors is important when you consider measuring the le v els of formaldehyde
.Some sources-such as pressed wood products containing ureaf ormaldehyde glues, urea-formaldehyde foam insulation, dur ab le-press fabrics, and dr aperies-release more formaldehyde when new. As the y age, the formaldehyde release decreases.

5What are the Major Sources? 1. Urea-formaldehyde foam insulation: During the 1970s, man y homeowners installed this insulation to sav e ener gy . Many of these homes had high le v els of formaldehyde soon afterwards. Sale of urea-formaldehyde foam insulation has larg ely stopped
. Formaldehyde released from this product decreases r apidly after the first fe

w months and reaches backg r ound le v els in a f e w years. T herefor e, urea-formaldehyde foam insulation installed 5 to 10 y ears a g o is unlikely to still release formaldehyde
. 2. Dur ab le-press fabrics, dr aperies and coated paper products: In the ear ly 1960s, there were se v eral r eports of aller g ic reactions to f ormaldehyde from dur ab le-press f abrics and coated paper prod

ucts. Such r e ports ha v e declined in recent years as industry has taken steps to reduce formaldehyde lev els. Dr aperies made of f ormaldehyde-treated dur ab le press f abrics may add slightly to indoor formaldehyde le v els. 3. Cosmetics, paints, coatings, and some wet-strength paper products: T he amount of formaldehyde present in these products is small and is of slight concern. Howev er , persons sensiti v e to formaldehyde may ha v e aller g ic reactions.

64. Pressed wood products : Pressed wood products , especially those containing urea-formaldehyde glues , are a source of formaldehyd e . T hese products include particleboard used as flooring underlayment , shelves , cabinets , and furniture; har d w ood plywood wall panels; and medium density fiberboard used in dr a w ers , cabinets and furnitu r e . W hen the surfaces and edges of these products are unlaminated or uncoated they h a v e the potential to release mor e formaldehyde. Manufacturers h a v e reduced formaldehyde emi s sions from pressed wood products by 80-90% from the l e vels of the ear l y 1980’s. 5
. Combustion sources : Burning materials such as woo d , k erosen e , cigarettes and natural gas , and ope r ating internal combustion engines (e.g. automobiles) , produce small quantities of formalde

h yde. Combustion sources add small amounts of formaldehyde to indoor ai r . 6
. Products such as carpets or gypsum board do not contain signif i

cant amounts of formaldehyde when n ew. They may tr a p f

ormaldehyde emitted from other sources and later release the f

ormaldehyde into the indoor air when the tempe r a ture and humid i

ty chan g e.

7Do You Have Formaldehyde-Related Symptoms? There are s e v eral formaldehyde-related symptoms , such as w atery eyes , runny nose , b urning sensation in the e yes , nose , and throat, headaches and f atigue
. T hese symptoms may also occur because of the common col d , the flu or other pollutants that may be present in the indoor air. If these symptoms lessen when you are a w ay from home or o ff ice but reappear upon your return , they may be caused by indoor pollutants , including formaldehyde. Examine your environment. H a v e you recently m o v ed into a new or di f ferent home or o f f ice? H a v e you r ecently remodeled or installed new cabinets or furniture? Symptoms may be due to formaldehyde exposu r e . Y ou should contact your phys i

cian and/or state or local health department for help
. Y our physician can help to determine if the cause of your symptoms is formaldehyde or other pollutants. Shoul d Y ou Measure Formaldehyde? Only trained professionals should measure formaldehyde because the y know how to interpret the results. If you become ill , and the illness persists following the pu r c hase of furniture or remodeling with pressed w ood products , y ou might not need to measure formaldehyde. Since these are possible sources , y ou can take action
. Y ou may become ill after painting , sealin g , making repairs , and/or applying pest control treatment in your home or o f f ice. In such cases , indoor air pollutants other than formaldehyde may be the cause. If the source is not obvi

ous , y ou should consult a physician to determine whether or not your symptoms might relate to indoor air quality problems. If your physi

cian beli e v es that you may be sensiti v e to formaldehyd e , you may want to make some measurements. As discussed earlie r, many factors can a f

fect the l e v el of formaldehyde on a g i v en day in an o f f ice or res i

dence
. T his is w h y a professional is best suited to make an accur ate measurement of the l e v els.

8Do-it-yourself formaldehyde measuring devices are a v ailab le , ho wev er these devices can only pr o vide a “ball park” estimate for the formalde

h yde le v el in the area. If you use such a device , carefully follow the instructions. How Do Y

ou Reduce Formaldehyde Exposure? Every day you proba bl y use many products that contain formaldehyde
. Y ou may not be ab le to a v oid coming in contact with some formalde

h yde in your normal daily routine. If you are sensitiv e to formalde

h yde , y ou will need to a

v oid many e v eryday items to reduce symp

toms. For most people , a low-lev el exposure to formaldehyde (up to 0.1 ppm) does not produce symptoms. People who suspect they are sensiti v e to formaldehyde should work closely with a knowledgeab le physician to make sure that it is formaldehyde causing their symptoms.

9You can a v oid exposure to higher l e v els by:

* Pu r c hasing pressed wood products such as particleboard , MD F , or hard w ood plywood for construction or remodeling of homes , or for do-it-yourself projects , that are labeled or stamped to be in confor

mance with American National Standards Institute (ANSI) criteria. P articleboard should be in conformance with ANSI A208.1-1993. For particleboard floorin g , look for ANSI g rades “PBU” , “D2” , or “D3 ” actually stamped on the panel. MDF should be in confor

mance with ANSI A208.2-1994; and har d w ood plywood with ANSI/HPVA HP-1-1994
. T hese standards all specify l o wer formaldehyde emission l e v els.

* Pu r c hasing furniture or cabinets that contain a high percenta ge of panel surface and edges that are laminated or coated. Unlaminated or uncoated ( r a w) panels of pressed wood products will generall y emit more formaldehyde than those that are laminated or coated
. * Using alternati v e products such as wood panel products not made with urea-formaldehyde glues , lumber or metal.

* A v oiding the use of foamed-in-place insulation containing formaldehyde , especially urea-formaldehyde foam insulation.

* W ashing du r able-press fa brics before us e .

10How Do Y ou Reduce Existing Formaldehyde Levels? The choice of methods to reduce formaldehyde is unique to your situa

tion. People who can help you select appropriate methods are your state or local health department, physician, or professional expert in indoor air problems. Here are some of the methods to reduce indoor le v els of formaldehyde
. 1. Bring lar g e amounts of fresh air into the home. Increase ventila

tion by opening doors and windows and installing an exhaust f an(s). 2. Seal the surfaces of the formaldehyde-containing products that are not already laminated or coated . Y ou may use a v a

por bar rier suc h as some paints, varnishes, or a la y er of vinyl or polyurethane-lik e materials. Be sure to seal completel y, with a material that does not itself contain formaldehyde. Many paints and coatings will emit other V OCs when curing , so be sure to ventilate the area well dur

ing and after treatment. 3. Remo v e from your home the product that is releasing formalde

h yde in the indoor air. W hen other materials in the area such as carpets, g ypsum boards, etc., hav e absorbed formaldehyde , these products may also start releasing it into the air. Overall lev els of f ormaldehyde can be lo w er if you increase the ventilation o v er an e xtended period
. One method NO T r ecommended by CPSC is a chemical treatment with strong ammonia (28-29% ammonia in w a ter) which results in a temporary decrease in formaldehyde le v els. W e strongly discour age such treatment since ammonia in this strength is extremely dan g erous to handle . Ammonia may dama g e the brass fittings of a natur

al gas system, adding a fire and explosion danger
.

11For more information about biol o gical pollutants , combustion po l lutants , asbestos , and indoor air quality in your home , write to: U .S. Consumer Product Safety Commission W ashington , DC 20207 CPSC’s toll-free hotline : 800-638-2772 CPSC’s we b site : http://www.cpsc. g o v American Lung Association 1740 Broa d way N e w Y ork , NY 10019-4374 (local ALA o f f ices also h a v e information) Local and State Health Departments
F or a copy of “The Inside Story : A Guide to Indoor Air Qualit y , ” send 50¢ to: Consumer Information Center Dept. 434-W Pueblo , CO 81009

12