Danger: Formaldehyde Exposure in the Home

The most common volatile organic chemical (VOC) pollutant in indoor air is airborne formaldehyde.

When most people think of formaldehyde, the first thing that comes to mind is animal dissection, from biology class.

I named my frog "Freddy," (Kermit The anthropomorphic Frog was years in the future).

But Freddy T. Frog was a big disappointment, all his parts were a pale white, making it difficult to distinguish organs.

Freddy was also leather tough, making him hard to cut. Worse yet, I got a "B-" for incorrectly identifying the pancreas as a gall bladder.

Ah, those halcyon days of youth, can't you just smell the formaldehyde?

Yep, back then nobody even questioned the risks of having kids exposed to every dangerous chemical known.

Today schools are phasing out dissection, substituting less hazardous computerized exercises using virtual models of animals.

Formaldehyde is used to preserve tissue for histology labs because it is extremely toxic to decomposer microorganisms. Formaldehyde destroys viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites.

Formaldehyde penetrates tissues and cells and crosslinks proteins. This "fixation" is what made my Freddy's body so stiff.

Crosslinking is a biomarker for aging. It's what causes wrinkles to form, a component of emphysema, and is one aspect of hardening of the arteries - heart disease.

Crosslinking is present to some extent with any exposure, not just at levels high enough to provoke unpleasant sensations or create cancer concerns.

There is no safe level of human exposure.

Some environmental groups call formaldehyde one of the most dangerous compounds to ecosystems and human health.

So why is this hazardous stuff our top indoor air pollutant?

Ubiquitous Toxin

As with any toxin, the potential for abuse exists. Marijuana has long been spiked with additives to spruce up lame batches. Today, dipping joints in formaldehyde is the toxic addiction fad, with a music group calling themselves the "Formaldehyde Junkies."

Commercially manufactured for over 100 years, formaldehyde is a big business, with American production of 11.3 billion pounds in 1998.

International formaldehyde production was over 46 billion pounds in 2004 and growing fast.

Of course that kind of money means a deeply entrenched lobby.

There is even a public relations group, The Formaldehyde Council, Inc., to sing the product's praises and counter any bad news which might accidentally slip out.

While several government agencies have made attempts at regulation, "voluntary" industry adjustments have reduced levels to the point that the US authorities have mostly backed off.

European regulators have been active and the California Air Resources Board (CARB) has taken its own initiatives.

But even CARB has only made recommendations - "...highly desirable that residential levels remain well below 27 ppb."

Meanwhile, there is no real US standard for residential formaldehyde emissions, and no product labeling requirements.

Sources of Formaldehyde

The outdoor air in rural regions has much lower concentrations than urban areas.

Formaldehydes have a short half-life in air, about 8 to 12 hours, where sunlight accelerates decomposition by photolitic oxidation. So proximity to sources is the main determinant of outdoor air levels.

But continuous off-gassing indoors, where photolitic oxidation is absent, can result in long term elevated levels.

The good news is, although most water is not safe to drink due to added Fluoride, formaldehyde has a short half life in water, making water a negligible contributing source. Formaldehyde emissions are highest when products are new, and decline over time.

Heat and humidity increase release rates of formaldehyde from household products.

Indoor exposures come from a bewildering variety of sources; building materials, indoor burning, home furnishings, household products, medicines and vaccinations, personal products and cosmetics, clothing, and food.

Building Materials