Facts About Formaldehyde | US EPA (2024)

FAQs

Is formaldehyde regulated by EPA? ›

Formaldehyde is designated as a hazardous air pollutant pursuant and regulated pursuant to national emission standards at Section 112. Read about the Clean Air Act.

formaldehyde in the workplace is 0.75 parts formaldehyde per million parts of air (0.75 ppm) measured as an 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA). of a short-term exposure limit (STEL) of 2 ppm which is the maximum exposure allowed dur- ing a 15-minute period.

Formaldehyde is classified as a human carcinogen. Short-term exposure to formaldehyde can be fatal. Long-term exposure to low levels of formaldehyde may cause respiratory difficulty, eczema, and sensitization.

TWA: The employer shall assure that no employee is exposed to an airborne concentration of formaldehyde which exceeds 0.75 parts formaldehyde per million parts of air (0.75 ppm) as an 8-hour TWA.

The action level for formaldehyde is 0.5 ppm, averaged over an 8-hour time period, and the STEL (measured over 15 minutes) is 2 ppm.

The concentration of formaldehyde that is immediately dangerous to life and health is 100 ppm. Concentrations above 50 ppm can cause severe pulmonary reactions within minutes. These include pulmonary edema, pneumonia, and bronchial irritation which can result in death.

What effect does formaldehyde have on the environment? In the atmosphere, formaldehyde usually breaks down quickly to create formic acid and carbon monoxide, which can also be harmful substances. When animals are exposed to formaldehyde it can make them sick, affect their ability to breed, and reduce their life spans.

Standards. Exposures to formaldehyde are addressed in specific OSHA standards for general industry, maritime, and construction.

Formaldehyde is a common indoor air pollutant. It is a gas that can irritate a person's eyes, nose, throat, and lungs, or trigger an asthma attack, even at low concentrations. Prolonged exposure to formaldehyde can cause cancer.

You might not get sick if you breathe or touch formaldehyde, but if you have breathed or touched formaldehyde you may have symptoms such as • sore, itchy, or burning eyes, nose, or throat; • skin rash; or • breathing symptoms such as chest tightness, coughing, and shortness of breath.

What happens if you accidentally touch formaldehyde? ›

Contact with formalin causes white discoloration, smarting, drying, cracking, and scaling. Prolonged and repeated contact can cause numbness and a hardening or tanning of the skin. Previously exposed persons may react to future exposure with an allergic eczematous dermatitis or hives.

Formaldehyde should always be used with adequate ventilation, preferably in a fume hood, to minimize inhalation of vapor formaldehyde. Always use chemical goggles or a face shield when handling formaldehyde to minimize the risk of even a small splash or vapor exposure to the corneas.

The CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission) declares that consumer products containing more than 1% of formaldehyde might cause potentially severe hypersensitivity on the human body.

Is the use of formaldehyde banned? No. Formaldehyde is still used in many consumer products.

Formaldehyde Has the Potential to Damage the Brain

1985; Perna et al. 2001) in humans, to cause deficits in learning and memory (Qiang et al. 2014), neuronal damage (Sarsilmaz et al. 2007), and oxidative stress in the cerebellum (Songur et al.

Most formaldehyde is released by 2 years [Park and Ikeda 2006].

Formaldehyde was detected in 6/7 e-liquids (in both the 6 mg/mL and 18 mg/mL nicotine concentrations), with concentrations varying from 1.11 ± 0.10 (e-liquid b: menthol flavor) to 4.66 ± 0.67 µg/mL (e-liquid g: blueberry muffin flavor).

A byproduct of combustion, formaldehyde affects human health and also has significant—but little understood—effects on Earth's atmosphere. For instance, chemical reactions that break down formaldehyde in the lower atmosphere can produce small airborne particles that have an outsized influence on Earth's climate.

According to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, formaldehyde is normally present at low levels (less than 0.03 ppm or 30 ppb) in both indoor and outdoor air. Materials containing formaldehyde can release it as a gas or vapor into the air. Automobile exhaust is a major source of formaldehyde in outdoor air.

One kilogram of apples can also contain as much as 20 milligrams of formaldehyde, the common name for the chemical compound methanal.

What PPE is required for formaldehyde? ›

What Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is needed when working with formaldehyde solutions? Eye/Face Protection: Wear chemical safety goggles. A face shield (with safety goggles) may also be necessary. Skin Protection: Wear chemical protective clothing e.g. gloves, aprons, boots.

Formaldehyde solutions should be disposed of as chemical hazardous waste only and not down the drain. Empty formaldehyde bottles or containers should not be discarded into biohazardous waste containers or broken glass boxes.

Hazard Class:

UN 1198 (3, Flammable) UN 2209 (8, Corrosive) Formaldehyde is a FLAMMABLE GAS or COMBUSTIBLE SOLUTION. Use dry chemical, CO2, water spray or alcohol-resistant foam as extinguishing agents. Use water spray to reduce vapors. POISONOUS GASES ARE PRODUCED IN FIRE.

At low levels, breathing in formaldehyde can cause eye, nose and throat irritation. At higher levels, formaldehyde exposure can cause skin rashes, shortness of breath, wheezing and changes in lung function.

Formaldehyde exposure is most common through gas-phase inhalation. However, it can also occur through liquid-phase skin absorption. Workers may be exposed during direct production, treatment of materials, and production of resins.

EPA's Regulatory Role

EPA regulates pesticides, including genetically engineered pesticides, under the following two laws: Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). This act provides the legal requirements for EPA's registration process for all pesticides.

To protect public health and welfare nationwide, the CAA requires EPA to establish National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for six common air pollutants also known as “criteria” air pollutants. The pollutants are particulate matter, ozone, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and lead.

REACH. Formaldehyde is listed in the Annex XVII as one of the restricted substances by REACH. In particular, formaldehyde is classified as a category 1B carcinogen, and its maximum tolerable values in consumer products is generally set to 0.1%.

Safety and Health Topics: Formaldehyde U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

What are 5 issues that the EPA deal with? ›

The Environmental Protection Agency protects people and the environment from significant health risks, sponsors and conducts research, and develops and enforces environmental regulations.

These six pollutants are carbon monoxide, lead, nitrogen oxides, ground-level ozone, particle pollution (often referred to as particulate matter), and sulfur oxides.

The Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976 provides EPA with authority to require reporting, record-keeping and testing requirements, and restrictions relating to chemical substances and/or mixtures. Certain substances are generally excluded from TSCA, including, among others, food, drugs, cosmetics and pesticides.

Formaldehyde is a naturally occurring organic compound, found in everything from construction materials and pressed-wood products to clothing textiles. Formaldehyde is also regulated in the United States, meaning that materials must not contain amounts of the substance above certain limits.

At low levels, breathing in formaldehyde can cause eye, nose and throat irritation. At higher levels, formaldehyde exposure can cause skin rashes, shortness of breath, wheezing and changes in lung function.

The regulations that implement RCRA identify formaldehyde as a toxic waste with the EPA hazardous waste number of U122. This classification applies only to unused commercial products, off-specification commercial products, and spill residues from unused commercial products (40 CFR 261.33f).