Formaldehyde is a compound used in laboratories, hospitals, schools and industries as a tissue preservative. Formaldehyde causes cancer in laboratory animals and it may be a human carcinogen. Eye contact can lead to severe burns that may not respond to eye washing. Prolonged skin contact causes dermatitis and sensitization of the skin and the respiratory tract.
People react to formaldehyde differently.
While some are very sensitive to the chemical, others have no noticeable reaction when exposed to levels of formaldehyde that would bother most people. The severity of irritation increases as concentrations increase, and acute exposure to concentrations above 25 ppm can cause serious injury, including fatal pulmonary edema. An oral dose of one ounce can be fatal. Regulations Formaldehyde solutions are regulated in Washington State as category B toxic compounds due to inhalation toxicity. Based on equivalent concentration criteria, formaldehyde solutions designate as hazardous wastes at concentrations of 0.1 percent in water.