EPA has developed information summaries on selected chemicals to describe how you might be exposed to these chemicals, how exposure to them might affect you and the environment, what happens to them in the environment, who regulates them, and whom to contact for additional information. EPA is committed to reducing environmental releases of chemicals through source reduction and other practices that reduce creation of pollutants. Acetaldehyde is a colorless, flammable liquid. It occurs naturally in certain foods, such as ripe fruits and coffee, and in cigarette smoke.
Green plants produce acetaldehyde as they break down food.
US production of acetaldehyde may decline in the near future as Mexico increases its production of the chemical. US demand for acetaldehyde increased slightly from 1987 to 1989, but is likely to remain steady at its current level. The largest users of acetaldehyde are companies that make acetic acid and related chemicals. Companies also use acetaldehyde to make other chemicals such as pyridine, pentaerythritol, and peracetic acid. Exposure to acetaldehyde can occur in the workplace or in the environment following releases to air, water, land, or groundwater.