Formaldehyde is a toxic chemical compound used in industrial manufacturing, embalming, and is abundant in the atmosphere. Exposure can cause cancer, respiratory problems, and skin conditions. Laws regulate its use in housing materials, but it can still be found in low-cost structures. The issue of exposure was highlighted in the US in 2007 when FEMA trailers for Hurricane Katrina victims had high levels of formaldehyde. The EPA recommends reducing exposure through dehumidifiers and ventilation.
Formaldehyde is a chemical compound widely used in industrial manufacturing and a number of other industries. Many people know it in the form of formalin, an aqueous solution of formaldehyde that is used as an embalming preservative. This chemical is toxic, known to cause cancer and a variety of other health problems, and for this reason most people try hard to avoid it.
This chemical is the simplest of the aldehydes, chemical compounds that include a terminal carbonyl group. A carbonyl group is a group of atoms that includes a carbon atom double bonded to an oxygen atom; the chemical formula of formaldehyde is HCHO, making it a useful building block for other more complex aldehydes. Pure formaldehyde is a colorless gaseous compound and is extremely reactive. For this reason it is often mixed with other chemical compounds to form a stable substance.
In addition to being used in things like glues, preservatives, antiseptics, resins, varnishes, filmmaking, and embalming, formaldehyde is also abundant in the atmosphere. It is one of many by-products of combustion and is also formed through atmospheric reactions, making it a major component of smog. As a result, it can be a challenge to avoid it.
High levels of exposure can lead to long-term cancer and short-term respiratory problems, skin conditions and inflammation of the mucous membranes. Formaldehyde allergies can also cause serious health problems. This chemical is especially dangerous for children.
Most countries have clear laws dictating how much formaldehyde can be used in things like housing materials, but it can also be generated through fuel-burning stoves, it’s even found in low-cost built “temporary” structures, thanks to the relaxation of standard safety for such buildings.
The issue of formaldehyde exposure was brought to the fore in the United States in 2007 when several media outlets reported that temporary trailers erected by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for Hurricane Katrina victims had extremely high levels of formaldehyde. The chemical has also been found in temporary structures on school campuses and in many old homes. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) suggests that people can reduce their risk of exposure by using dehumidifiers and ventilation facilities, especially those with fuel-burning stoves and heaters, although facilities with high levels of formaldehyde environment should be renewed or destroyed.
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